Fire season is officially over

The soaking rains of the past several days were probably a sufficient clue, but just to make it all official, the Central Oregon fire chiefs announced that the end of wildland fire season was declared Saturday, October 15.

Open burning within the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District is now allowed with the following requirements:

• Download (www.sistersfire.com) or pick up a copy of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Outdoor Burning Regulations at any one of the stations located in Sisters, Squaw Creek Canyon Estates, or Camp Sherman and have on site where burning is to be performed.

• Call the Outdoor Burning Line 541-549-2333 each day that you plan to burn.

• Follow all regulations in the Outdoor Burning Regulations brochure.

The City of Sisters DOES NOT ALLOW yard debris burning at any time during the year, and certain homeowners associations may have further restrictions in place.

Staff will continue to monitor weather and fuel moisture conditions in the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District and may make modifications on a day-to-day basis. Call your local outdoor burning information line for your current conditions. If conditions become dryer, individual agencies may choose to close local burning.

Central Oregon fire chiefs federal partners (U.S. Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management) will be executing prescribed burns throughout the region this fall. These prescribed burns will be conducted under carefully planned conditions with federal fire resources, professional fire managers and firefighters on scene, during favorable weather conditions. These prescribed burns improve forest health and reduce the forest fuels in order to lower the wildfire risk to our communities in the future.