Fire Season Ends for Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District

September 26, 2019

[Prineville, Ore]  Recent cool temperatures and precipitation
have brought an end to the 2019 fire season for Oregon Department of Forestry’s
(ODF) Central Oregon District.  At 12:01
a.m. on Thursday, September 26, 2019 fire season will officially be terminated.  Wildland fuels across the District do not
pose a significant risk of rapid fire growth, however weather and fuel
conditions during the fall can change quickly. 
The public is reminded to follow all local burning restrictions to
reduce the risk of escaped debris burns.
“We still want
everyone to be careful with their burning, and to follow recommendations and
restrictions,” reminds Kristin Dodd, Unit Forester in The Dalles.  “Terminating fire season doesn’t mean fire
won’t burn, especially on dry windy days.”
Landowners who plan
to burn industrial logging slash, fuel reduction or defensible space materials,
or other debris from forest activities should contact their local ODF Office to
obtain a burn permit.  Burning of yard
debris or burn barrels should follow fire department restrictions and do not
require a permit from ODF.  

On THE DALLES UNIT (Hood River and Wasco
counties)
—Yard debris (small piles) and burn barrels are allowed from dawn
until 11:00 a.m.  Burn permits are
required by ODF or the local fire district. 
Please call for details to obtain a permit.

On PRINEVILLE-SISTERS and JOHN DAY UNITS—Contact
your local fire department for information regarding yard debris and burn
barrels.
Fires should never be
left unattended.  A shovel and water
source on site are recommended when burning, even small piles.  Landowners may be liable for fires which escape.    
Firefighters within the
Central Oregon District responded to 126 fires across the 2.3 million protected
acres, burning just over 230 acres year-to-date.  The ten-year average for acres burned within
the District is over 8,000 acres annually. The small number of acres burned in
2019 can be attributed to the quick, coordinated response of firefighting
resources, wet thunderstorms, and a more moderate fire season across the region
allowing more resources to be available for initial attack and extended attack
for suppression efforts.  Human ignitions
accounted for 49 fires, with 77 fires attributed to lightning. 
For additional
information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and
unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.

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