Escaped fires raise safety concerns

Escaped fires in recent days have local fire officials sounding the alarm about residential outdoor burns.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Marshal David Wheeler is encouraging Sisters area residents to be careful with outdoor burning this spring as fuels dry out and afternoon winds pick up.

Two outdoor burns escaped this past weekend without causing any damage and two others required attention late in the day, Wheeler said.

“One had one outdoor burn spread at the east end of the city and another on Canyon Crest Drive north of the city,” Wheeler explained.

Wheeler urged residents conducting outdoor burning to follow the district’s burning regulations carefully by having on site a copy of the regulations. Residents must check first with the outdoor burning line at 549-2333 to be sure burning is allowed. Fire areas should not exceed six feet by six feet and be no less than 50 feet from a structure.

Adequate fire equipment including tools and a source of water must be available. Burning must be stopped if the temperature exceeds 90 degrees F. or if the winds exceed 10 miles an hour. Finally, fires must be extinguished by sundown.

Call 9-1-1 promptly if a fire gets out of control, Wheeler added.

Copies of the district’s burning regulations are available online at http://www.sistersfire.com or at the Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. in Sisters.