Union County may begin slash pile burning at MERA soon

UNION COUNTY – Union County residents should be aware that Union County Parks and Recreation may begin slash pile burning next week (February 2-8) at the Mount Emily Recreation Area. According to MERA coordinator Josh Ford, the decision to burn will depend on the weather, as both snow and rain are expected this weekend. Tentatively, the plan is to burn most of the slash piles at MERA, with two being left as teaching/demonstration burn piles as part of a collaborative project with the Oregon State University Extension Office.

If burning does proceed, county residents will likely not notice any visible fires at night, though extra smoke could be visible during the day. Burning will likely take around 1-2 days, though piles could smolder for some time afterward. Some trails at MERA will be closed during the active burn, with the public reminded to keep a safe distance for the sake of safety. The public will be made aware of any delays or changes in the burn schedule.

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