SUBMITTED ARTICLE
CALIFORNIA — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that precautionary fire restrictions would be in place beginning Saturday, June 10, on public lands managed by the Central Coast Field Office. The restrictions prohibit campfires or open flames on BLM-managed lands in San Benito, Fresno and Monterey counties.
Additional restrictions include:
• No tools powered by internal combustion engines off established roads or trails.
• No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or at a designated developed recreation site, or other designated areas.
• No motorized vehicles off established roads or trails.
• No shooting using incendiary, tracer, steel core or armor-piercing ammunition.
• No fireworks, including “safe and sane” devices.
• No welding or operating acetylene or other torches
The BLM said that restrictions are needed because dry fuels and high temperatures have increased fire dangers. There have been four human-caused fires in the region in the past several weeks. A wildfire under these conditions could pose a serious threat to visitors, adjacent private lands and communities.
The BLM advises homeowners to take responsibility for fire protection by keeping 100 feet of clean open space around their homes to provide defensible space. Doing so will help the firefighters protect families from uncontrolled wildfire and will improve the chances of homes avoiding fire damage or total loss.
For more about defensible space, visit readyforwildfire.org. Call the BLM Central Coast Field Office at 831-582-2200 for more information.
