Debris burning allowed for now

Debris burning will be allowed to continue a bit longer, according to interim Fire Chief Ken Enoch.

Enoch, who heads up the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District, said, "I've been watching the weather really close and the moisture content is still up in our area."

That means that Sisters area residents who want to dispose of combustible yard material before fire season may continue to burn small yard debris piles for the time being.

Burning of small piles is allowed by permit only, if the fires are attended and water and a shovel are available. Other conditions are applicable and permits must be obtained in person at the fire station. Burning is not allowed after dark.

Last week, Sisters firefighters responded to some burning-related calls that Enoch described as pretty low-key.

He said that none posed much danger of spreading rapidly. He described one of the current problems as "slow creeping fires in the duff that don't want to go out."

He cautioned that all fires must be closely watched and will often smolder for days if allowed to do so. Those fires, he said, can suddenly flare up long after people think they are out.

Enoch said he will be consulting with other fire officials in the region to seek a consensus on how much longer burning should be permitted.

He said that, whenever possible, it's best to coordinate burn closures among agencies to simplify notification and reporting issues.

"If we get a couple of weeks of nice, warm weather," Enoch said, "we'll look at closing it down."

Until then, however, people taking advantage of the continued burning opportunity are advised to be extremely careful.