[John Day, Ore.]
Oregon Department of Forestry will terminate Fire Season in the John Day
Unit of the Central Oregon District at 12:01 a.m. Saturday October 24,
2020. Cooling temperatures and increased
humidity have reduced the fire danger and potential for rapid spread of fire
due to fuel conditions. Additional
precipitation is needed before burn permits for logging slash will be issued in
the Central Oregon District.
Yard debris, burn barrels, and other open burning
should follow local and county fire restrictions. Prior to any burning landowners should plan
for safe burning practices including monitoring current weather conditions and future
forecasts. Safe burning practices also
includes clearing flammable debris from the burn pile or burn area, having a
water source nearby, having tools such as a shovel handy while burning, not
burning in windy conditions, and never leave a fire unattended. Continue to check the fire area for residual
heat in the days after burning to ensure embers do not rekindle and spread to
nearby fuels.
Year-to-date in the Central Oregon District firefighters
have responded to 70 lightning fires burning 11,300 acres and 69 human caused
fires burning 1,659 acres. The ten-year average for this time period is 63
lightning fires for 5,823 acres and 65 human caused fires for 2,192 acres. Eighty-five percent of all fires were less
than ten acres in size.
ODF’s Central Oregon District continues to serve
landowners and the public as an essential service for Oregonians. Please call or email to talk with our staff
or schedule an appointment. For
additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact
information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.