Los Padres National Forest officials raise fire restrictions
GOLETA, Calif. – In response to the increasing potential for a wildland fire start, Los Padres National Forest officials announced that fire restrictions will be raised throughout the Forest effective tomorrow, June 29. These restrictions will affect the use of campfires, stoves, smoking materials and internal combustion engines, and will remain in effect until the end of fire season in late autumn.
Effective June 29, the following restrictions will be in effect:
· No open fires, campfires or charcoal fires will be permitted outside of developed recreation sites or designated Campfire Use Sites (list attached), even with a valid California Campfire Permit. Lanterns and portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel will be permitted, but only with a valid California Campfire Permit, which are available free-of-charge on the Forest website and at any U.S. Forest Service office. Forest visitors must clear all flammable material for five feet in all directions from their camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times during use.
· Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or a designated Campfire Use Site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
· Internal combustion engines may be operated only on roads or designated trails. This restriction is in effect year-round. Please make sure your engine is tuned, operating properly, and has an approved spark arrester.
· Fireworks – even the “safe and sane” variety – are not permitted at any time or in any location within the Forest,
For a list of Developed Recreation Sites and Campfire Use Sites in Los Padres National Forest, or further information regarding Fire-Safe Camping, visit www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf or contact the U.S. Forest Service district office nearest you.
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Kate,
Thanks for making an attempt to post accurate current campfire restrictions in this area! Also thanks for pointing out that Calfire still gives out valid permits for campfires during these times when campfires are restricted. I just obtained another online permit during this 6-30-2019 restriction valid until 12-31-19. There are really no criteria to obtain the permit other than a printer. It does not require a specific location, name of back country trail or wilderness area camp plans, or dates of trip. It also has no requirements to pass the quiz or watch the video, to confirm an applicant understands jurisdictions or the language. You can just click on the seek bar in the embedded youtube video to skip it.
I find the video disturbing in that it suggests building a new fire pit ... which is exactly what is illegal during these restrictions where you are not allowed camp fires "outside of designated areas" but only in existing campground fire pits.
This whole negligent process of calfire giving out permits for fires on fed lands and stating it does not apply to state or federal parks is absolute confusion to any tourist. The title on the permit is "California Campfire permit". The average tourist will only read this title, thinking they can make a campfire anywhere in California! The poor wording using the word "special" and not defining it is also very misleading.
The Calfire website and links could be just be for educational information while including a list of all of the Calfire stations at tourist destinations so that Calfire would not be giving out permits in restricted areas. Instead, Calfire is giving out permits for illegal activity on federal lands! We all know that tourists will use this permit for illegal activity on all lands in California since most tourists do not read the small print or understand local jurisdictions.
Calfire has some much needed funds allocated by the governor for wildfire prevention. I hope this direction in prevention can continue and that HWY 1 shoulders with record grass growth this year will be mowed soon with some of this money before all of it is dry. This would at least minimize the wildfires started by the massive increases in camping and accidents along HWY 1. It will be a miracle to just make it through the 4th of July fire works season along HWY1 in Big Sur.
Please also notice that Los Padres National Forest site is sending tourists to this very same state permit site during these restrictions!
Here is the link from the calfire and http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf page:
http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/