Fire season ends on private lands

As a result of the welcomed wet weather, at 6 p.m. Wednesday October 27, the Central Oregon District (COD) of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is lifting restrictions and terminating fire season.

This includes Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Gilliam, Wheeler, Morrow, Grant, Harney, Umatilla, Hood River and Wasco counties in Central Oregon.

The lifted restrictions apply to private forestlands both inside and outside of Rural Fire Protection Districts. If you are within a Rural Fire Protection District you still need to contact your local Fire Department to verify what restrictions may still be in place in your area, such as burn permits for burn barrels and burn piles.

Because regulations vary from private to federal/public lands, please contact federal agencies for fire restrictions before entering federal/public lands.

The following ODF restrictions are no longer in effect on private lands within COD:

* Burn permits for burn barrels and burn piles, other than logging slash.

* Watchman service and fire equipment on logging operations occurring on private lands protected by ODF.

* Non-industrial chain saw use.

* Open fires such as campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires.

ODF is lifting these fire restrictions because of the favorable weather conditions. Although these restrictions have been lifted, and the recent weather conditions have proved beneficial, fire officials ask that caution still be taken when having any kind of fire in the woods or in your own back yard.

"Now that fire season is over we can breath a collective sigh of relief" stated Bob Young, Central Oregon District Forester, "with this first rain it is important to note that until we receive enough moisture to wet the larger fuels, fires can still cause problems."