This letter recently went out to landowners/operators in the Prineville Unit, but the message is valuable for landowners across the region who may have burned debris or other material. As the temperatures warm there is potential for any remaining heat or flame to rekindle.
Dear Landowner or Operator,
This letter is a reminder to check your burn piles to ensure that they are DEAD OUT.
Burn piles can smolder for several months, even though there may not be any visible smoke or flame. As the weather gets warmer and drier, burning in the piles becomes more active. With a little wind, fire can spread from the pile to the surrounding land. In Oregon, fires from hold-over pile burns have destroyed hundreds of acres of valuable timber and other resources. In addition, these fires have cost the landowners and the Department of Forestry hundreds of thousands of dollars to extinguish. It is very important that you make sure your burn piles are completely extinguished.
If you have done any pile burning this past season, please physically check those piles as soon as possible for hold-over heat. Use a shovel or other equipment to dig down through the ashes until you hit the soil underneath. Touch the burned fuels and soil. If they are warm to the touch, this is a sign that material is still burning. If you find piles that are still burning, completely extinguish them. ODF is willing to bring thermal cameras to your site to verify extinguishment, as a courtesy.
With the current weather conditions, we are fast approaching another record breaking fire season. With your help we can eliminate some of the potential wildfires for this coming year.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact your local ODF office: Sisters 541-549-2731 or Prineville 541-447-5658
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Prineville-Sisters Unit