Fire restrictions on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry-Northeast Oregon District will be lowered from extreme to high fire danger beginning Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 12:01 a.m.

But a news release from the department on Monday reminded people that forest fuels remain critically dry. Lands under ODF protection remain under public use restrictions, and permits will not be issued for open burning, debris piles or burn barrels.

“While the recent change in the temperature and the showers that were received were welcome, it’s still August, fuel conditions are still dry, and everyone should still use abundant caution when they head out to the woods,” District Forester Matt Howard said in the release.

Restrictions in effect include:

• Open fires, including campfires, charcoal, cooking, and warming fires, are still prohibited except at designated locations. Portable cooking stoves using liquified or bottled fuel are allowed. For information on designated campgrounds, call your local ODF office.

• Nonindustrial chain-saw use is prohibited between the hours of noon and 8 p.m. Chain-saw use is allowed at all other hours if there is one axe, one shovel, and one 8-ounce or larger fire extinguisher for each operating saw. A one-hour fire watch is also required.

• Cutting, grinding, and welding of metal are prohibited between noon and 8 p.m. These activities are permitted at all other hours if conducted in a cleared area and if a water supply is present.

• Mowing dried and cured grass with power-driven equipment is prohibited between noon and 8 p.m., except for the commercial cultivation and harvest of agricultural crops.

For more information on fire prevention restrictions in the Northeast Oregon District, call 541-975-3027. Fire restrictions may differ on lands protected by rural fire departments or lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. More information on fire restrictions can be found on the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at www.bmidc.org.

To report a fire, call the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at 541-963-7171 or dial 911.

Fire season information is also available online at the ODF Northeast District Facebook page or the Blue Mountains Fire blog page.