Central Oregon wildfire season officially ends Saturday

Central Oregon fire chiefs announced Tuesday that with the recent and cooler and damper weather, along with more of the same in the forecast, the expectation is the area will see the end of the declared wildland fire season on Saturday .

“The fire chiefs thank everyone for their vigilance in getting all our communities safely through another wildland fire season,” their announcement said.

In select areas, residential debris and pile burning, is also scheduled to be permitted, starting Saturday . Check with your local fire department for details, requirements, and a permit. Note: some municipalities and home owner associations, such as the City of Bend and Sunriver, do not allow open burning at any time during the year within their jurisdictions.

The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association urges homeowners to prepare their property for the next fire season by thinning and removing ladder fuels from their property as well as other Firewise measures. Chipping on site and or hauling to the local transfer site are viable options.

Central Oregon Fire Chiefs’ federal partners (US Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management) will be executing prescribed burns throughout the region this fall.

These prescribed burns will be conducted under carefully planned conditions with federal fire resources, professional fire managers and firefighters on scene, during favorable weather conditions. These prescribed burns improve forest health and reduce the forest fuels in order to lower the wildfire risk to our communities in the future.

Residents are strongly encouraged to contact their local fire protection agencies for additional burning information and regulations.

All Central Oregon fire departments and rural fire districts will continue to monitor weather and fuel moisture conditions in their districts and may make modifications on a day-to-day basis.

Please call your local outdoor burning information line for your current conditions. If conditions become dryer, individual agencies may choose to close local burning.