No open burning on UCFD1 service area, CTUIR urges caution with vehicles
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
HERMISTON & MISSION – Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 issued a ban Monday on open burning within the service area. It will remain in effect at least through Oct. 1. The closure is in effect no matter what the Umatilla County website issues on burn day designations, recorded burn information messages, or burn allowances.
“UCFD No. 1 has already responded to multiple brush and wildfire incidents across the region this season,” the announcement from the district states. “As temperatures rise and vegetation continues to dry out, fire conditions are expected to worsen throughout the summer months.”
Even small sparks from debris burning, equipment use, vehicles, or outdoor activities can quickly ignite dry grass and brush under current conditions. The annual closure is intended to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Emergency Management Coordinator Kimberly Hughes says firefighters throughout the region work together to control wildfires, and she wants the public to do their part. Hughes says a big step is to not venture off-road in vehicles since even a spark can grow into a wildfire.
“It’s not anything that takes too much,” she said of the effort involved. “It’s just being mindful of your surroundings and being able to stay on the main roads.
Fire-safe behaviors include avoiding outdoor burning and unattended fires, properly disposing of cigarettes and smoking materials, maintaining defensible space around homes and structures, avoiding parking vehicles in dry grass, keeping trailers and equipment maintained to prevent sparks, and preparing family evacuation plans before an emergency occurs.
EMG wildfire file photo
