News releases articles

Click map for statewide map of current fire restrictions. STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL 2 CLOSEDOWN ORDER  Number 02   Effective 10:00 a.m., PDT, July 25, 2016 By virtue of the authority vested in me by ORS 477.625, ORS 477.670, and OAR 629-043-0070, I hereby issue notice the following subject area is susceptible to damage by fire and proclaim Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 to be in effect: All lands protected by the Central Oregon Forest Protection District, in regulated use areas MH-1 and MH-4 and all...

[The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District] - The Wassen Pond Fire was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, burning four miles west of The Dalles on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue. The fire remains at 300 acres this morning (about 30 acres on ODF jurisdiction) and is 75 percent contained. Line construction will continue today to fully contain the fire. The fire is under Unified Command between ODF and MCFR. Cause remains under investigation.

 [The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District] - The Wassen Pond Fire was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, burning four miles west of The Dalles on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.  The fire, under Unified Command between ODF and MCFR, is currently approximately 180 acres (with most of that acreage on MCFR), and hand- and dozer-lined.  Additional resources from ODF, rural fire departments in the area, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area are assisting with this...

Prineville, Ore—Lands protected by ODF’s Central Oregon District (COD) will be placed under a Regulated Use Closure beginning Friday July 1, 2016 at 12:01 am.  The Regulated Use Closure applies to private, county, and state owned lands protected by COD in Deschutes, Grant, Hood River, Wasco, Wheeler, Crook, Jefferson, Morrow, Harney, Umatilla, Lake, and Gilliam counties.  The intent of the Closure is to limit human caused wildfires.  Recent high temperatures have dried wildland fuels and increased the danger of large fire growth.  Human caused...

Sisters, Ore…Mop-up operations for the 2,094 acre Akawana Fire are near complete.  The fire is now 95% contained, with a 500 foot cold black line around most of the perimeter.  Smoke may continue to be visible from material burning in the interior of the fire for several weeks.  Cool, moist weather throughout central Oregon has aided firefighters during the mop-up activities, and reduced interior fire activity.  Firefighters experienced scattered showers over some parts of the fire today and the weather forecast calls for additional precipitation...

Akawana Fire update…Today firefighters continued mop up activities within the fire perimeter, working to extinguish flames and smoke within 500’ of the fireline.  Most of the work is complete, however smoke may be visible from smoldering stumps or burning material well in the interior of the fire perimeter.  Crews also worked hard today to remove the remaining fire hose from the fire line.  Mop-up will continue tomorrow.  The fire is now 90% contained with 2,094 acres burned.

Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3 Link Smith, Incident Commander Information: www.facebook.com/odfcentraloregon                      http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4772 Type of Incident:                     Wildfire...

Fire Information:                      Email Address:                        Akawanafireinfo@gmail.com Facebook:                                facebook.com/odfcentraloregon...

Contact: Tom Fields Oregon Dept. of Forestry 503-983-8897 Sisters, OR –  Fire crews were very successful yesterday and overnight thanks to hard work, cool temperatures and higher humidity. All Level 2 evacuation notifications have now been lowered to Level 1 (be ready). This includes homes in the Three Rivers subdivision (as of June 9), Forest Park, Air Park, Rim Park and their outlying areas (as of yesterday). Gusty afternoon winds spurred one spot fire across containment lines in the southeast corner of the fire that crews, equipment and helicopters quickly...

Fire Information:   503-983-8897                  Email Address:                         Akawanafireinfo@gmail.com Facebook:                                   facebook.com/odfcentraloregon...

In partnership with the USFS Malheur National Forest, ODF’s John Day Unit will be redistributing surplus tree seedlings to local private landowners for planting.  Seedlings will be redistributed on a first come first server basis, with a 500 seedling per landowner limit.  Landowners who are interested in more seedlings will be considered after the initial distribution.  Seedlings will be available for pick-up starting May 2nd, at 9:00 am.  Details are available by contacting Shelly Speakman at ODF’s John Day Unit at 541-575-1139. This is a unique...

As warmer spring weather inspires us to get out and enjoy all that central Oregon has to offer, ODF reminds us to practice fire safety to prevent uncontrolled fires.  Warm dry weather, alternating with cooler moist periods can give a false sense of reduced fire danger. Burning yard debris from landscaping projects or fuel reduction activities and campfires/warming fires can pose a significant wildfire risk if allowed to burn uncontrolled. Escaped debris burns are the leading human-caused fire issue in Oregon, accounting for thirty fires burning 88 acres in the...

News Release April 1, 2016 Contacts:      Jamie Knight, 541-786-2039                        Christie Shaw, 541-263-0661 Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northeast Oregon and Central Oregon Districts have partnered with the United States Forest Service to provide marking crews on federal timber sales. This partnership is funded by the Federal Forest Health Program initiated by Oregon’s Legislature during the 2013-15 biennium, and included...

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING                     Pursuant to ORS 477.250, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held to receive from any interested persons suggestions, advice, objections or remonstrance’s to the proposed budget for the Central Oregon Forest Protection District.  A hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at 1:00 P.M., at the Oregon Department of Forestry – District Office, 3501 NE 3rd Street, Prineville, OR. Copies of the tentative...

Mason Springs Fire (part of Canyon Creek Complex), photographed the evening of August 13, 2015 Oregon Department of Forestry’s John Day Unit is raising money for the Grant County Food Bank by auctioning off two tree planting packages. Each auction package includes 500 mixed conifer seedlings (ponderosa pine and western larch) donated by the Malheur National Forest and planting by ODF’s John Day Unit staff. The auction is also intended to help local residents affected by fire. The one requirement for bidding is that the trees be planted on lands burned by the Canyon...

Ritter, Oregon…Folks in Ritter are used to facing the challenges of living in remote Oregon and finding unusual solutions.  Back in 2014 that is exactly what a group of landowners did, forming the Ritter Collaborative.  The collaborative focuses on enhancing land productivity and restoring the landscape.  Landowners formed the collaborative to improve the economics and efficiencies for on the ground work.  This unique collaborative is made up entirely of private landowners.  Landowners vary from working cattle operations, to residential...

Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District is terminating fire season at 12:01 am Saturday, October 24, 2015.  Widespread rain across the district last weekend, combined with forecasted cool, moist weather patterns has brought an end to another long difficult fire season.  Oregon and the Pacific Northwest experienced the third historic fire season in a row with drought conditions across much of the landscape.  Burn permits are required for all open burning.  Permits can be obtained from your local fire department or from the...

Weary and wary…Residents in the John Day Valley have been living with fire for more than a month; smoke, loss, and fear have all affected the community, making “normal” seem unachievable.  Fall rains will eventually extinguish the interior fire within the Canyon Creek Complex Fire, but in the meantime some residents within the fire perimeter are working with the local Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Unit in John Day to remove hazards and clean-up fire damaged vegetation.  This is the first step for these landowners to move toward their new...