MEDFORD, Ore. (Jun. 9, 2026) — Fire danger levels across Jackson and Josephine counties will increase to moderate beginning Thursday as rising temperatures and drying vegetation elevate the risk of wildfire, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District announced that the fire danger level on ODF-protected lands will move to moderate, or blue, effective at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 11. The change affects approximately 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in the two counties.
The Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will remain at Level 1.
Although the region has experienced several cooler days recently, officials said vegetation has continued to dry out. Forecasted heat later this week, with temperatures expected to approach 100 degrees, is expected to accelerate that process.
“This combination of ongoing drying and rising heat is prompting the shift to moderate fire danger,” ODF said in a statement.
Under the increased fire danger level, several new restrictions for the public will take effect.
Open fires, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, will be prohibited except in designated campgrounds. Portable cooking stoves and fire pits that use liquefied or bottled fuels will still be allowed in areas free of flammable vegetation.
Chainsaw use will be prohibited from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Outside those hours, chainsaws may be used if a shovel and an 8-ounce or larger fire extinguisher are present at the work site. A one-hour fire watch is required after each use.
The use of metal-cutting equipment, including grinding and welding tools, also will be prohibited from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.Those activities may continue outside the restricted hours if the work area has been cleared and either a charged garden hose or a 2 1/2-pound or larger fire extinguisher is readily available.
Mowing dead or dried grass with power-driven equipment will be prohibited during the same afternoon and evening hours. The restriction does not apply to mowing green lawns or equipment used in agricultural crop production.
Motorized vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, will be allowed only on improved roads free of flammable vegetation. Travelers must carry a shovel and one gallon of water or a 2 1/2-pound or larger fire extinguisher. Motorcycles and ATVs are specifically required to carry a fire extinguisher meeting that minimum size requirement.
Other spark-emitting internal combustion engine use not otherwise addressed in the restrictions will also be prohibited from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Use outside those hours is permitted only when the work area has been cleared and appropriate firefighting equipment is available.
Several fire season regulations already in effect will remain unchanged. Debris burning, including burn piles and burn barrels, continues to be prohibited. Fireworks are banned on or within one-eighth mile of ODF-protected lands. Exploding targets and tracer ammunition are also prohibited.
In addition, smoking while traveling is allowed only inside enclosed vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water or in designated locations. Electric fence controllers must be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services and used according to fire-safe instructions.
Forestry officials said following seasonal fire restrictions is critical to reducing the number of human-caused wildfires, noting that many of the regulated activities can generate sparks capable of igniting dry vegetation.
Additional information about fire season restrictions is available through the Southwest Oregon District. Residents may also contact ODF offices in Central Point at 541-664-3328 or Grants Pass at 541-474-3152 for more information.
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