Ashley National Forest reminds the public that while temperatures are slowly dropping that does not mean that any fire restrictions are lifted. In fact, the fire restrictions are still in place even with the hunts currently going. Joseph Flores, an Ashley National Forest Fire Management Officer, states that “with the current forecast showing continued hot and dry weather well into October, the potential for wildfires is at an unprecedented level, well outside our normal weather pattern. This is driving the need to continue fire restrictions into October until we receive significant moisture.” A general rule to follow is that if an item has an on/off switch that completely extinguishes the fire, such as propane or gas stoves or propane fire rings, it is okay to use. Anything else, even charcoal, is not to be used.
