Fire season has started in Jackson and Josephine counties, where fire danger on Monday was low.

During fire season, debris burning is prohibited and other restrictions apply on 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and U.S. Bureau of Land Management properties protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

The regulations, announced by ODF and effective as of Saturday, include the following:

• The ban on burning includes debris piles and burn barrels.

• No fireworks are allowed on ODF-protected land.

• Exploding targets, tracer ammunition and any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base are prohibited.

• Campfires are allowed in designated campgrounds and on private land with the landowner’s permission.

• Smoking while traveling will only be allowed in enclosed vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water and other specifically designated locations.

For industrial operations, a fire watch is required.

In a May 14 report, Dave Larson, ODF Southwest District director, said he expects above-normal temperatures and near- to below-normal rainfall this fire season, along with the possibility of more lightning than usual. On the plus side, drought conditions have eased.