Oregon Department of
Forestry Urges Caution With Spring Debris Burning
[Prineville, Ore.] Spring
is often the time when landowners work to clean up vegetation and yard debris
from around their homes. However, the
Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District reminds
landowners to be cautious if they plan to burn that material. Weather in the spring can often be erratic
and winds can pick up suddenly, fanning flames and dispersing embers into dry
fuels nearby. Cleaning gutters, removing
leaves and needles from roofs, and clearing dead vegetation from around
structures helps reduce risk of wildfire damage to homes and outbuildings. Many communities have programs which allow
for chipping and disposal of these types of materials at low or no cost to
landowners. ODF encourages landowners to
take advantage of these opportunities.
While it is still
early spring on the calendar, fuel conditions across the areas ODF’s Central
Oregon District protects are experiencing warmer and drier weather patterns
than normal. Lower snowpack and warmer
temperatures have resulted in a decrease in fuel moisture and increased
flammability. ODF personnel have
assisted rural fire district and federal partners responding to numerous fires
from escaped debris burns as well as campfires which have been left unattended. “We’ve been seeing spring-like weather for
the last month, and with it we’ve seen an increase in responses to uncontrolled
fires,” explains Rob Pentzer, Assistant District Forester with ODF’s Central
Oregon District. “We want to see fuel
reduction work done, and folks burning their winter yard debris, we just want
to see it done safely and without risk to neighbor’s properties and homes.”
Below are some tips
to reduce the risk of a fire getting out of control.
·
Check with local fire department and county
restrictions to be certain burning is allowed and what restrictions should be
followed.
·
Check weather forecasts. Avoid burning on windy days or when wind is
forecast to be erratic or increasing.
·
Never leave a fire unattended. Be certain the fire is completely out prior
to leaving.
·
Have a water source and shovel available while
burning.
·
Keep debris piles small. Add material gradually as the pile burns
down.
·
Contact 911 immediately if the fire gets out of
control.
Landowners can be
held financially responsible for the costs of putting the fire out and any
damage caused by a fire if they are found to be negligent while burning. The responsible party can also be cited for an
uncontrolled fire. Debris burning
includes field/pastures and irrigation ditch burning intended to reduce thatch
as well as other agricultural type burning.
For additional
information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and
unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.
