Sonora, CA… Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken signed fire restriction orders for moderate and high fire hazard zones to replace the regional fire restriction that expires at midnight Nov. 6. Both forest orders are in effect from Nov. 7, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020. Visitors are encouraged to check the forest web page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus for information about fire restrictions and recreation activities that are allowed under the forest order.

Under Forest Order STF-16-2020-23, Temporary High Fire Restrictions, and Forest Order STF-16-2020-24, Temporary Moderate Fire Restrictions, visitors are not allowed to build, maintain or use a campfire except in open developed recreation sites; smoking is not allowed, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or within developed recreation sites; no welding or acetylene or other torches with an open flame are allowed.

Persons with a valid California campfire permit may use a portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel on National Forest System lands within the moderate and high hazard zones.

Visitors to the low hazard zones are allowed to have campfires and use propane or gel-fuel stoves, as long as they have a valid California campfire permit. Campfire permits may be requested at www.preventwildfiresca.org.

“This weekend’s winter storm will help reduce the extreme fire risk we’ve seen on the forest this summer,” Kuiken said. “We still urge visitors to follow all safety procedures when using cookstoves or, in low hazard zones, if you build a campfire. It will still be a dry landscape even after this first precipitation, so please help us keep the forest free of wildfires.”

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