Union County revamps burn permit process following end of regulated use fire season

By Garrett Christensen on Friday, October 4th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION COUNTY – On October 2^nd, the Union County Board of Commissioners voted to end the county’s 2024 regulated use fire season. While this announcement was already made public, the county has since issued a press release detailing additional information regarding remaining restrictions and, notably, changes to the county’s burn permit system. The full press release is as follows:

“The Union County Board of Commissioners voted during a regular session to end the regulated use fire season for 2024, effective immediately. This decision follows a recommendation from the Union County Fire Defense Board.

Fire Defense Board Chief Craig Kretschmer emphasized that while conditions remain dry and the risk of human-caused fires cannot be ignored, cooler temperatures and fall weather patterns support ending the fire season.

Chief Kretschmer also highlighted the importance of continuing to follow the burn permit process, which can be accessed by calling the burn permit line at (541) 963-4040. The daily recording will provide guidance on weather conditions and air quality, and will indicate if burning is permitted all day, in the morning only, in the afternoon only, or not at all.

The burn permit process has been slightly revised as individuals are now required to have a copy of County Ordinance 2024-02 in their possession when conducting open burns. This can be either a paper copy or a digital version. The ordinance itself serves as the burn permit, but calling the burn permit line is still required each day before burning. Ordinance 2024-02 is available on the county website at www.unioncountyor.gov.

Public use restrictions remain in effect for the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The Northeast Oregon Department of Forestry is still in fire season and has entered moderate fire danger for all lands under its protection. Visitors to these areas are encouraged to stay informed of the latest regulations by visiting the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at https://bmidc.org.”