Fall is in the air, hunters are in the woods - and burning restrictions are still on the books.
Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Kathy Jo Pollock said the number of citations for fire violations on public lands has gone up as the weather has cooled down.A statewide fire restriction on public lands has been in place since late July. Campfires are allowed only in fire pits in designated campground and picnic areas. Smoking is allowed only in vehicles, on boats on the water, in developed recreation sites, in residences or on paved roads. Fireworks of any kind are prohibited within restricted areas and are always prohibited within National Forest boundaries.
The only exception in the state is in the High Uinta wilderness area in Daggett, Uinta and Duchesne counties and the Flaming Gorge district of the Ashley National Forest, where restrictions were lifted Sept. 9.
Some violators are paying the $50 fine while others are taking their citations to court, using ignorance to the restrictions as a defense. "Most people are saying they didn't know about (the fire restrictions) or because of the rain lately they thought the restriction had been lifted."
Snow fell in the mountains near Kamas Tuesday night, but forecasts call for more warm weather before the wildfire season ends. "There may be an inch and a half (of snow) on the ground in the morning that is gone by noon. It can dry out in a matter of hours," Pollock said.
Deer and elk hunting seasons always give fire officials one last round of concern as hunters take to the woods, often looking for camping sites away from developed campgrounds.
Openings for various archery hunts began Aug. 13. Rifle hunts for elk and deer begin Oct. 5 and Oct. 22, respectively.
Weather will dictate whether restrictions will be lifted during the fall hunting season. "If we have two weeks of rain or even a week of rain, we may lift the ban. But it's still extremely dry. The weather forecast doesn't look like we're going to get a heck of a lot of precipitation for at least another month," she said. "It may be November before we lift the ban."