Northeast Oregon Department of Forestry Declares an End to Fire Season

 

September 27, 2023

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Molly Johnson (541)963-3168 

La Grande, OR, as of 12:01 a.m., September 30, 2023, 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.

 

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. We ask Landowners to ensure they have their smoke management notifications filed and follow all forecasts for burning. Check with your local ODF office before lighting fires.

 

 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, obtaining the smoke management weather forecast is also required. For smoke management forecasts, please call 541-963-4040 or 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.

 

For further information, call your local ODF office:

La Grande Unit (541)963-3168

Baker City Sub-Unit (541)523-5831

Wallowa Unit (541)886-2881

Pendleton Unit (541)276-3491

 

Call the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at (541)963-7171 or dial 9-1-1 to report a fire. 

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