King Range now in Fire Restrictions

As of Monday, June 10, due to dry fuels and increasing fire danger in the North Coast region, the King Range National Conservation Area has implemented campfire restrictions. 

What this means for you:

Under the restrictions, all campfires and charcoal barbecues are prohibited except in specifically posted campgrounds and recreation sites. In other words, in the King Range, campfires are only allowed at this time in designated campfire rings at our developed recreation sites/campgrounds: Mattole, Tolkan, Honeydew, Nadelos, and Wailaki campgrounds.

Portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are allowed outside of posted recreation sites with a valid California campfire permit. In the King Range, the Wilderness Permit that you are required to obtain and sign serves this purpose.

Please be extremely careful with the use of portable camp stoves, especially stoves that require a priming stage. From my previous blog post:

There have been numerous fires in the past several years due to camp stoves, usually in the priming stage. Anytime you use a stove be sure it is in a safe location away from dry fuels. In the instructions for the Whisperlite stove Mountain Safety Research says to, “keep combustibles 4 feet away from all sides.” More than 4 feet would be a good idea, especially in the extremely dry and windy conditions of the Lost Coast.

This past February there was a very good story in the NorthCoast Journal written by a backpacker who accidentally started a fire on the Lost Coast. The article is well written, eye-opening and very educational. Here is an excerpt:

“Right then, a gust of wind hit, and this ball of flame took on a life of its own, jumping maybe 10 feet to my right and landing on a steep bank of dry grass. In seconds, the entire hillside was a crackling wall of fire. And that's all it took. It was out of control.”

You should take the time to read it.

Also, a reminder that ALL food and scented items need to be stored securely in a bear resistant food canister when not in use. Bears and other critters can smell canned food and even sealed and dehydrated meals. Their sense of smell is much better than yours! 

Give me a call or send me an e-mail if you have any questions. 

Your Wilderness Ranger, 

Paul Sever

707-986-5405

lostcoastranger@gmail.com

I will be away from the office for several days at a time so you can also call our front desk at 707-986-5400