Education key to preventing recreational shooting wildfire starts in Oregon’s state forests
Tillamook State Forest, Ore.— With fire season now in effect across all Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands, including Oregon’s state forests, visitors are encouraged to take every precaution possible to prevent human-caused wildfires.
Across Oregon, approximately 70 percent of wildfires are caused by human activity. While escaped debris burns are among the leading causes of human-caused wildfires statewide, recreational shooting presents a unique challenge in some state forest areas.
In 2025, three separate wildfires were started by improper target shooting activity at the Wolf Creek Shooting Lanes in the Tillamook State Forest. Those incidents, combined with increasing fire danger, resulted in the temporary closure of the shooting lanes.
“The vast majority of recreational target shooters are doing everything right,” said Ben Burns, ODF Recreation Facilities Manager. “Our volunteer partners, led by the nonprofit organization Trash No Land, do an outstanding job helping educate shooters and assisting with cleanup and maintenance at our shooting lanes. However, ongoing education is critical to ensure users understand and follow the rules that help keep everyone safe and prevent wildfires.”
Target shooting rgulations can be found on the ODF website here and on the Tillamook State Forest Blog here. Please review these before heading out into the forest. Here are some of those important rules:
- Exploding targets, such as Tannerite, are prohibited on State lands.
- Shooting of trees or targets attached to trees is prohibited.
- Shooting from, down or across any trail or road is prohibited.
- All targets must be manufactured or printed paper targets. Shooting of appliances, furnature or any other garbage material is prohibited.
- Target shooters must use an appropriately sized, non-flammable, natural backstop.
- Targets shooting may only take place between one half-hour after sunrise and one half-hour after sunset.
- Target shooters must remove shell casings, targets and other debris resulting from target shooting from State lands.
Education remains ODF’s preferred approach to wildfire prevention. Recreation, education, and interpretation staff regularly work with visitors to promote safe and responsible recreation. However, law enforcement officers also patrol state forests and may issue citations when necessary.
Although target shooting is allowed in many non-designated areas of state forests, ODF strongly encourages shooters to use designated shooting facilities whenever possible. These sites have been carefully selected and designed to provide safer shooting opportunities while reducing risks to other forest visitors and natural resources.
In the Tillamook State Forest, ODF’s designated shooting facility is the North Fork Wolf Creek Shooting Lanes, located off Highway 26. In the Santiam State Forest, shooters can use the Butte Creek 615 Shooting Lane, accessed from Scotts Mills via Sawtell Road and the Butte Creek Mainline.
“Before setting up targets, shooters should be aware of their surroundings and know what recreation opportunities exist in the area,” Burns said. “Forest roads, trails, dispersed recreation sites, and other users may be nearby. Failing to identify what is beyond your target creates a serious safety hazard.”
ODF also encourages all forest visitors to carry a shovel and at least one gallon of water or a fire extinguisher in their vehicle during fire season.
“That shovel and water are critical to put out a fire start before it becomes a big wildfire,” said Burns. “So make sure you are prepared and check the local fire restrictions before you leave for a state forest since many areas do not have cell phone coverage.”
For more on fire levels, restrictions and closures see: Oregon Department of Forestry : Restrictions & closures : Fire : State of Oregon
For general forest recreation rules and public conduct regulations, including those on target shooting see: Oregon Secretary of State Administrative Rules
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ODF’s volunteer partners, led by the nonprofit organization Trash No Land, do an outstanding job helping educate shooters and assisting with cleanup and maintenance at ODF shooting lanes. This spring they did a big clean up at the Wolf Creek Shooting Lanes.
Last year there were three separate fires at the Wolf Creek Shooting Lanes in Tillamook State Forest. People need to know and follow the rules to help prevent fire starts from target shooting while in the forest.
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