Effective today, July 1, the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, is implementing fire restrictions on all BLM-managed public lands within the Folsom Field Office boundary.  This includes lands in Nevada, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Sacramento, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Sutter, and Mariposa counties, a grand total of about 230,000 acres. The fire restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. These restrictions prohibit all open fires on public lands because of extremely dry conditions, according to Brian Mulhollen, fuels management specialist.  “We’re seeing fire fuels conditions in June that we usually don’t see until August,” he said. “We would like to emphasize, with the July 4 holiday approaching, that all fireworks are prohibited.”

State officials from Governor Schwarzenegger on down have publicly condemned the use or purchase of fireworks as blazes across Northern California continue to burn. BLM officials stated that they would take any and all preventative measure. Campers are urged to be familiar with special limitations prior to visiting any public lands in these counties. A valid California campfire permit is required for all fires.  Campfire permits are available free of charge at any BLM, Forest Service, or California Department of Forestry Office, but campers need to be aware of restrictions in the area they are visiting. Violations are punishable by fines up to 1,000 dollars and/or imprisonment for up to one year. For additional information contact BLM’s Folsom Field Office at 916-985-4474.