Pay Attention to Local Fire Restrictions as the Summer Heats Up

By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, July 27th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – The summer heat isn’t going away anytime soon. Whether you plan on hitting the water or just getting some yard work done you’ll need to abide by local and state level fire restrictions. Within towns and urban areas, these may restrict the allowed hours for burn barrels, incinerators, firepits and outdoor grills. Within rural and forested areas, everything from campfires, small engines and chainsaws, camp stoves to even vehicles may be restricted if not completely prohibited. As a reminder for Northeast Oregon:

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest increased their local fire danger rating to high on July 14. (Full release here).

The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman national forests all implemented Phase B public use restrictions on July 21. (Full release here).

The Vale district of the Bureau of Land Management enacted additional public use restrictions on July 22 (Full release here).

Union County entered a Regulated Use Fire Season back on July 1. (Full release here)

The Elgin Rural Fire Department announced a total burn ban via social media on July 26.

Restrictions will vary from location to location depending on individual conditions, but the fire danger remains high region wide. As the season progresses, additional restrictions may be enacted when deemed necessary by city and county authorities. For example, Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora noted that the cities of Elgin and Union commonly implement local city-wide burn bans independent of county and state level restrictions. Always check local restrictions and conditions before traveling, recreating, working, or, if necessary, burning.

Going forward, it’s unlikely that the fire risk will reduce before the end of the season. As stated in a release by the U.S. Forest service concerning dry conditions:

“According to the Northwest Coordinator Center Predictive Services Outlook, the Pacific Northwest region has experienced drier-than-normal conditions over the past several months. This dryness, combined with record and near-record heat, has resulted in excessively dry vegetation in many areas. As a result, a new fire start could grow quickly, and existing fires may remain on the landscape until weather conditions change. This raises the threat of prolonged smoke impacts, which can have serious health consequences for those with respiratory issues.

To mitigate these risks, the Forest Service is encouraging the public to take the following steps:

Prevent human-caused wildfire starts. To report a wildfire, call 911.
Keep an eye on smoke forecasts and plan outdoor recreation accordingly.
Stay informed of fire restrictions and fire closures before heading out.”