Three months of hot, dry conditions has led the Siuslaw National Forest to ban all campfires — charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other open fires — outside of designated campgrounds.

There are exemptions for sand camping campfires in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Sand Lake Recreation Area. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel are allowed as they can be instantly switched off.

Forest officials also said smoking is prohibited except within an enclosed vehicle or building or a developed recreation site. Generators are permitted only in places devoid of vegetation such as paved areas or developed campsites. Motorized vehicles may operate only on designated trails and roads.

“The Coast Range is experiencing historically dry conditions with no measurable rainfall since early May,” said Northwest Oregon Interagency Fire management officer Kevin Reese. “We’ve seen an uptick in human-caused fire starts this summer and we have taken this step to help reduce preventable wildfires.”