Amador County – The July 4th weekend passed in a safe and sane manner, with no major fires reported, despite the dry state of the region. Thousands of people gathered in Jackson to view the annual Jackson Lions Club fireworks shoot. Families and friends gathered on blankets on the Jackson Junior High School football field as firefighters stood by to keep the sparks from igniting fires. The city of Plymouth hosted its Main Street parade with the annual appearance of the 1920s Ahren Fox Fire Truck. Ione hosted a downtown dinner on Main Street, and the Upcountry 4th of July Carnival was held at Pioneer Park on Buckhorn Ridge Road in Pioneer. The Upcountry event was reportedly very well staged, and even had an Uncle Sam making rounds in the crowd. The weekend boasted no major fires, and a roadside fire on Highway 88 last Friday drew a quick response and was quickly extinguished. The Bureau of Land Management’s Mother Lode Office last month announced fire restrictions that became effective July 1st. The BLM implemented fire restrictions on all BLM-managed public lands within the Mother Lode Field Office boundary. That includes about 230,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne and Yuba counties. The fire restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. Bureau Fire Management Officer Gerald Martinez said the “restrictions prohibit all open fires on public lands because of extremely dry conditions.” He said “With recent high temperatures, fuels are extremely dry.” Campers are urged to be familiar with special limitations prior to visiting any public lands in Mother Lode counties. Mother Lode region restrictions include: No open fires, campfires or open fire stoves, except lanterns and portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel. Also prohibited are welding or torches with open flames; explosives; internal combustion engines; the firing of tracers or incendiary devices; and fireworks. Violations are punishable by up to $1,000 fine and/or up to a year in jail. For info, call BLM Mother Lode at (916) 941-3101. Story by Jim Reece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.