Redmond Fire & Rescue to close open burning for the season on June 1

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Effective June 1, Redmond Fire & Rescue will close all outdoor debris burning for the season, until further notice. During this closure, all outdoor debris burning is prohibited in all areas served by Redmond Fire & Rescue in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. 

As a reminder, the closure of outdoor debris burning prohibits all of the following: 

1. Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.). 

2. Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, ditches etc.). 

3. Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris or controlled burning.

The burn ban does not prohibit: 

1. Small outdoor cooking, warming or recreational fires at residential properties. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.

2. Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.

There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF)-protected land. ODF restrictions may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, and other public/private landowner and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available at Oregon Department of Forestry Public Fire Restrictions.

Outdoor fires in violation of this closure may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this closure, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as legal fees per ORS 478.965. Burning restrictions are authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 478.960, Oregon Fire Code 307 and Redmond Fire & Rescue Ordinance 5.

Fire Officials in Deschutes County encourage the public to use extreme caution with activities that could start a fire. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and be prepared for wildfires. Residents are encouraged to continue exercising caution and taking steps to prevent and prepare for the threat of wildfires. That includes: 

Creating defensible space:

• Mowing and watering lawns.

• Removing brush, dry grass, and leaves from underneath decks and crawlspaces.

• De-limbing tree branches 10 feet off the ground and well away from your roof.

• Planting low-growing, fire-resistant plants near your home.

• Eliminating fuel sources near and around your home – firewood, fuel tanks, etc. 

Maintaining access: 

• The road or driveway to your home should be clear of all debris, dense vegetation, and low-hanging branches. Turn-out areas are needed if the road or driveway to your home is not large enough for two-way traffic or your home is located at the end of a long driveway or dead-end road.

• The driveway to your home should be designed without sharp curves or steep grades.

• If crossing a bridge is necessary to access your home, it should support 50,000 pounds.

Signing up for Alerts:

To make sure you are receiving the most current alerts regarding Emergency Evacuations (Fire, Flooding, Public Welfare, etc.), Natural Disasters (Fire, Flooding, etc.), Severe Weather or Neighborhood Emergencies, you can sign up for Deschutes Alerts.