Escaped field burn blackens 15 acres east of Bend

Minimal damage; land owner issued warning for lack of permit

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Embers from a planned small burn by a property owner east of Bend were picked up by the wind late Friday afternoon and blackened about 15 acres of dry grass, leading to a written warning for lack of obtaining a required agricultural burn permit, officials said.

Bend Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched shortly before 5 p.m. to the escaped burn in the area of Erickson Road and Powell Butte Highway, Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said. Initial reports said a field burn had escaped control and spread east to an adjacent property in the 22000 block of Erickson Road.

Bend firefighters, assisted by a mutual-aid water tender from the Alfalfa Fire District, were able to quickly stop forward progress of the field fire. Kettering said damage was limited to the grass, minor damage to an outbuilding and a few wooden fenceposts, and was estimated at $500.

An investigation found the property owner intended to burn a small amount of grass and dry vegetation near an outbuilding, but the wind carried embers into other areas and the adjacent parcel.

He did not have an agricultural burn permit, Kettering said, and was issued a notice of violation (written warning) for failing to obtain one.

"Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community that while agricultural burning is permitted outside the city limits, an annual permit is required and the burning regulations must always be followed," Kettering said in a news release. 

This year, she said, a new online permit portal system was introduced, and anyone needing to obtain a permit for field, ditch, or large pile (over 6 feet in diameter) burning can apply for their permit by visiting the City website at www.bendoregon.gov/burninginfo. 

Residents of other fire districts should contact the agency serving their area for more information on burning regulations and requirements.