# fire restrictions



## bossloader (Sep 11, 2007)

wondering about restrictions up at strawberry reservoir? primitive camping


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Last I saw it is totally locked down until the end of September unless they extend the ban. 

Propane stoves and BBQ's are exempt.


----------



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Having a fire just scares the crap out of me! Just for the simple fact that if a log "pops" and throws a spark, what could happen in these extremely dry conditions. 


Seems like when I was a lot younger, there was snow and cold during the hunts. A campfire was part of the hunting/camping experience.


----------



## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I tend to use this site for up to date information regarding fire restrictions. I don't know explicitly for that area but most ranger districts appear to have campfire restrictions in place through autumn.

https://utahfireinfo.gov/fire-restrictions/


----------



## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

taxidermist said:


> Having a fire just scares the crap out of me! Just for the simple fact that if a log "pops" and throws a spark, what could happen in these extremely dry conditions.


i wish more people felt that way. nearly every camp i passed had fires going during the first week of the archery hunt. not in campgrounds, just rock fire rings.

in reality an attended campfire that has any forethought in preparation rarely is the cause of a fire. it's the hasty constructions near lite fuels and those that don't know how to put a fire out that cause issues. drowning a campfire is a great idea if you can truly do it. most pour some water on until the flame is gone and walk away. it may sit for hours, days or possibly weeks before the right conditions come along (low RH, high temps, dried fuels and some wind).

when a campfire is put out you should be able to hold your hand on any part of the pit for 5 seconds, all the way down until you get to cold dirt. that means using a tool to mix the fuel in the pit with either water or cold dirt. it's called dry mopping or wet mopping if you're using water.

fwiw, when fire restrictions are in place the idea is to use white gas, propane, etc. you don't want anything that can fall to the ground like hot coals or pop like sappy wood can. so, your grill, bbq or smoker should be on gas.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

But how many take the time to put a fire completely out?

They start their fire and eat dinner, then sit around it until it is time for bed. Then they just get up and go to bed figuring that the fire will just die out.

I was talking to a young female US Forest Service employee one day and she said that she had a perfect way to cure campers of starting fires where they weren't supposed to. She wanted a house nozzle mounted to the front of her truck with a 1000 gallon tank of water in the back. She then wanted to get on the external speaker for the radio in her truck and warn those around the fire before she would unleash a stream of water to drown out the fire along with the surrounding area.

She thought that it would only take one time before the fire starters learned and the word got around about what the crazy good looking brunette meant business about fire restrictions 

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


----------



## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

On the Manti it is a 5000$ fine or time in jail for having a camp fire.


----------



## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

Brookie said:


> On the Manti it is a 5000$ fine or time in jail for having a camp fire.


in the uintas you get a dirty look if they're being mean that day. enforcement isn't really in the cards, especially when it's in a beetle kill area. easier to deal with it from a campfire then a subscribed fire that gets put down a week before high winds hit... at least from a PR prospective.


----------



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Not only are the "campfires" a worry, but I also see UTV'S, ATV's and vehicles pulling off the side of the road over tall dry grass's and brush. It could only take a moment for a hot exhaust to begin a slow burn and ignite the fuels under the vehicle. 


We just need a good slow steady prolonged rain or snow fall to saturate the dry soils and mix up the 8" of powder on the dirt roads.


----------



## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Logan ranger district has been very pro active in marking every fire ring in dispersed camping areas with signs that read "No campfires allowed". They along with county fire have been actively checking to make sure there is no heat in any fire ring. And yet there are people both on FS and adjacent private that continue to ignore the closures. It's almost like people are trying to make a statement just like masks.

Morons!


----------



## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd780901.pdf
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd780902.jpg

Two bookmarks for your collection if you want:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/uwcnf/home
https://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal/


----------



## Wildhorses (Jul 17, 2020)

With a fire ban in place, what type of cooking setups are allowed? MSR type stove, small collapsible wood stick/solid fuel stove, Coleman fuel type stove? Our group try’s to go beyond staying with in the law but my fear is ignorantly breaking a rule. 

I do a lot of trips into the BWCA in Minnesota. There’s a terrible story from a few years ago about a regular solo camper/canoe guy... long story short. He started a forest fire, there wasn’t any restrictions in place and the only law he broke was not reporting it. It burned tens of thousands of acres and killed a fire fighter. The guy ended up taking his life for what he did.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Propane and gas stoves and bbq's only.


----------



## Wildhorses (Jul 17, 2020)

Critter said:


> Propane and gas stoves and bbq's only.


Thanks! I just flew out of salt lake from visiting family and I'll be back in Ohio this afternoon. I'll be leaving Monday to drive to Ashley National forest. Specially the chepeta lake area is where we hunt. I spent the last week hiking and riding in the cache area. I noticed all the fire pits had signs stating no fires. I'm gonna guess Ashley will be the same way.


----------



## Animediniol (Sep 26, 2017)

Critter said:


> Propane and gas stoves and bbq's only.


Agreed, this will work. :smile:


----------

