With the increasing fire danger MH-4 will be increasing its
Industrial Fire Precaution Level, IFPL 2 to an IFPL 3 Saturday August 1st 2020
at 12:01 AM. This effects all operations WEST of Hwy 35 within the Oregon
Department of Forestry’s fire protection The Dalles Unit. There will be a
2 hour fire watch required after operations are complete.
All lands protected by the Central Oregon Protection
District, in regulated use area MH-4 and all forestland within one-eighth mile
thereof.
Under Industrial Fire Precaution Level 3, the use of fire or
power-driven machinery in any operation area is unlawful unless such use is in
compliance with the following:
Restricted Shutdown: The following activities are not
permitted at any time, except as noted:
Cable yarding systems, except that gravity operated logging systems using
non-motorized carriages or approved motorized carriages may operate between
8:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., when all blocks and moving lines are suspended at
least 10 feet above the ground (except the line between the carriage and the
chokers). An approved motorized carriage is defined as a cable yarding system
employing a motorized carriage with two fire extinguishers, each with at least
a 2A:10 BC rating, mounted securely on opposite sides of the carriage, an
emergency motor cutoff, and an approved exhaust system.
The following are permitted
to operate between the hours of 8 P.M. and 1 P.M.:
- Power saws at loading sites;
- Loading or hauling of any product or material;
- Blasting;
- Welding, cutting, or grinding of metal;
- Any other spark emitting operation not specifically mentioned.
In addition, the following are permitted to operate between
the hours of 8 P.M. and 1 P.M. where mechanized equipment capable of
constructing fire line is immediately available to quickly reach and
effectively attack a fire start:
- Ground-based operations (tractor/skidder, feller-buncher, forwarder, or shovel logging operations);
- Power saws on ground-based operations;
- Rotary head saw feller-bunchers with a continuous Firewatch;
- Non-rotary head saw feller-bunchers;
- Tethered logging - winch-assisted, cable-assisted, traction-assisted, etc. systems, which enable ground-based timber harvesting machines to operate on steep slopes.
