La
Grande, OR--As of 12:01 am, October 22nd, 2021, the Oregon
Department of Forestry (ODF) will terminate fire season for forestlands
protected by the Northeast Oregon District. This includes over 2 million acres
of private, state, county, municipal and tribal lands protected by ODF. The
Northeast Oregon District includes lands in the following counties: Union,
Baker, Umatilla, Wallowa and small portions of Grant, Morrow and Malheur
counties.
“Although
the weather conditions are cooler, and some precipitation has fallen around the
region, there’s still a chance of fires escaping on dry and windy days. There
are all kinds of opportunities for folks to get out and enjoy the outdoors, but
we are still asking everyone to be cautious.” Said Justin Lauer, acting Pendleton
Unit Forester.
The
end of fire season means landowners protected by ODF can burn residential yard
debris and burn barrels without a permit. This does not relieve landowners or
forest operators of lawful responsibilities concerning the safe burning of debris
or slash piles.
“Landowners
with large debris piles or slash piles should exercise extreme caution. It is still
very early in the fall and there is likely drier weather ahead of us. Waiting
for more precipitation is a good way to mitigate the risk of an escaped burn.
Landowners who have escaped fires can be held liable for extra suppression
costs related to the containment of the fire.”
Lauer stated.
Specific Smoke Management/Burning
Advisory Information:
· If you are under
the protection of a rural or city fire department, please be sure to follow
their burning restrictions. Additionally, burning within the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) requires a permit from CTUIR.
You must follow all requirements as outlined in the permit. Burn permits for
burn barrels or small amounts of yard debris are not required on lands
protected only by ODF Northeast Oregon District.
· Burning slash
from forestry and logging activities requires a Notification of Operation/PDM
from ODF. In addition to this permit, landowners are required to obtain a smoke
management permit from their local ODF office. Before burning in northeast
Oregon, it is also required to obtain the smoke management weather forecast. For
smoke management forecasts visit the following website:
http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/Daily/neo.htm
The Northeast Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry
would like to thank all our landowners, forest operators, the public and interagency
partners for their efforts in fire prevention, detection, and suppression
activities this season.
To report a fire, call the Blue Mountain
Interagency Dispatch Center at (541)963-7171, or dial 9-1-1.
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