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Black Canyon Fire Active; Roads Reopen

Blue Sky and May Lake (on southern entrance) Roads are opened as of 9am on 7/3/25 while the Black Canyon Fire is active and working to be contained in the Refuge and is located two miles southeast of the intersection of Blue Sky and Martin Canyon Roads, in addition to being east of the 2024 Warner Peak Fire scar.  Hot Springs Road and campground remain open at this time. This fire was lightening caused from the evening of June 30th and is traveling on grasses. Expect variable winds and storms to affect fire behavior. For updated information, please follow the South Central Oregon's Fire Management Partnership -  

ATTENTION!

DUE TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS & REQUIREMENTS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SHELDON AND HART MOUNTAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

FIRES, STOVES, SMOKING, other BURNING and EQUIPMENT:

• PERMITTED: Building, maintaining, attending, or using campfires or charcoal fires is only allowed in Virgin Valley Campground on Sheldon NWR.
• PROHIBITED: Wood stoves, smoker fires, and portable braziers are prohibited on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.
• PERMITTED: Liquefied and bottled gas stoves and heaters, and generators with an approved spark arrestor within an area at least 10 feet in diameter and barren of all flammable material.
• PROHIBITED: Smoking outside, except in areas barren of all flammable materials at least 6 feet in diameter, or in a vehicle.
• PROHIBITED: Power saw operations.
• PROHIBITED: Welding equipment, including acetylene or open flame torches.
• Spark arresting devices must be properly installed and maintained on all internal combustion engines.

 MOTORIZED VEHICLES:

• Due to extreme fire danger, select roads on Sheldon and Hart Mountain Refuges may be closed due to hazardous conditions.  Vehicles are permitted only on roads where flammable vegetation and debris does not come in contact with the vehicle undercarriage.
• Vehicles are prohibited on roads marked as closed and on roads in which flammable vegetation or debris may contact the vehicle undercarriage. Be aware of Road Closed signs and Avoid Hazardous Road Conditions such as those shown below:

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• Vehicles may only drive on roads in which vegetation does not contact the vehicle undercarriage:

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• Vehicles must be parked in an area barren of flammable material, including  vegetation (this includes all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, cars, pickups, etc.)
• All motorized vehicles must carry the  following equipment:
  • A shovel not less than 26 inches in  overall length, with a blade not less than eight inches wide;
  • one water container of at least one gallon in size filled to capacity or a 2.5  pound fully charged fire extinguisher;
  • Axe or  Pulaski Pulaski
    The Pulaski is a special hand tool used in wildland firefighting. The tool combines an axe and an adze in one head, similar to that of the cutter mattock, with a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The Pulaski is a versatile tool for constructing firebreaks, as it can be used to both dig soil and chop wood.
    
    Learn more about Pulaski with a handle at least 26 inches in length and a head weight  of not less than two pounds.
• It is prohibited to operate any type of motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle not equipped with an approved and fully-functioning spark arrestor.