Nebraska National Forest supervisor Dan Bright will institute stage-one restrictions on certain areas Friday, June 29, according to a news release from Nebraska National Forest offices in Chadron, Neb.

"With the forecast for warmer-than-average temperatures though September and the grasses already cured out over large parts of the grasslands, it's important for everyone to realize that fire season is here," Nebraska National Forest acting fire-management officer Brian Daunt said in the release.

In South Dakota, the restrictions will affect Fall River Ranger District of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in Fall River, Custer and Pennington counties.

In Nebraska, the restrictions will affect the Oglala National Grassland and Pine Ridge District of the Nebraska National Forest in Dawes and Sioux counties, the release said.

Stage-one restrictions are the least restrictive of the three-level system; they limit campfires to "developed or improved Forest Service campsites only," according to the release.

Smoking is also restricted and will be limited to enclosed vehicles or buildings, developed Forest Service recreation sites or areas at least three feet in diameter that are cleared of all flammable materials.

"The purpose of the stage-one fire restrictions is to raise awareness to the potential for wildfire and help reduce the chances of human-caused fires," Daunt said.

In addition to the fire restrictions, the Forest Service is once again restricting motor-vehicle use on the areas of the 2006 Dawes County Complex fires in northwest Nebraska.

Motor vehicles will be restricted to designated roads within the Spotted Tail and Robert Tract Fire areas for the rest of the year. The original order for those restrictions was scheduled to expire July 1. Forest Service officials are extending them in order to allow plants to become established.