Landscape Burning
By Mindy Gould on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories
JOHN DAY, HINES AND PRAIRIE CITY, OR-
Fire Information: It’s that refreshing
time of year again. The first day of Autumn signals pumpkins, spiced lattes and landscape burning. The
time when conditions are right for Fall burning. We are coming out of a long, hot and dry season. Fuels
have lost more moisture over this time. Burning under dry fuels conditions allows the fuels to potentially
consume more completely and produce less smoke. Prepare to see the Malheur National Forest’s fire
personnel on the ground initiating prescribed burning.
On the Forest:
Fall entry burns are generally implemented on ground that has already had 1-2 entries of prescribed fire.
Spring season burns tend to reduce fuel loading less due to having to burn moisture off the fuels first. We
do spring/wetter burns to remove some of the fuels so we can come in and burn again in the fall with less
intensity.
On private land:
Many private landowners use this time to care for their own property. In an effort to keep these
fires from getting out of control, our partner, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), impose certain
restrictions pertaining to public and work-related activities. Residents should be aware of
local conditions and restrictions before any burning on private lands.
The County follows ODF fire restrictions, and here are the current restrictions.
• No Debris Burning
• Campfires in designated locations
• Portable cooking stoves using liquefied fuels OK
• No Fireworks
• No exploding targets, tracer ammunition or sky lanterns
• No mowing of dry, cured grass 10 am to 8 pm
• No power saws 10am to 8pm
• Equip each power saw with a shovel and fire extinguisher or gallon of water
• Provide a 1-hour fire watch after the use of each power saw
• No cutting, welding or grinding 10am to 8pm
• Cutting, welding or grinding must be done in a clear area with a water supply
• No blasting
• Electric fences must be UL approved
• No off-road driving • All vehicles must have a shovel and fire extinguisher or gallon of water. ATV’s and motorcycles must be
equipped with a fire extinguisher
We recommend you check their webpage as conditions rapidly change.
ODF’s fire restriction link: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx
