Outdoor burning still closed in Sisters Country

Due to the lack of significant rainfall and continued warm temperatures, open burning within the Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale, and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Districts remains closed. Central Oregon Fire Chiefs and partner agencies will meet in mid-October to re-evaluate conditions and may open burning towards the end of October.

Currently prohibited in residential areas: Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.); Agricultural burning (waste crops, field burning); Land clearing, slash, or stump waste.

To help residents get prepared for the backyard burning season the Fire District has partnered with Oregon Department of Forestry to provide 4’x6’ sheets of wax paper to cover debris piles and keep them dry to burn cleaner. Residents should wait until there is snow on the ground before any burns. For more information contact the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District at 541-549-0771.

Recreational fires are currently allowed in residential areas — small cooking/warming fires in portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, or campfires, barbecue grills, smokers, and similar appliances using clean, dry firewood, briquettes, propane, or natural gas. Black Butte Ranch does not allow briquette barbecues or firewood unless it is in an approved outdoor fireplace that has a chimney spark arrester. All fires must be fully extinguished after use and kept clear of combustibles.

The local Fire Districts only regulate recreational fires on private property. Information on restrictions of campfires in campgrounds or dispersed campsites on the National Forest can be found by calling the Sisters Ranger District at 541-549-7700 or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=stelprdb5297376.

Residents should contact their local fire protection agencies for additional burning information and regulations. Some municipalities, such as the City of Sisters, do not allow yard debris burning at any time during the year within their jurisdictions. Some homeowner’s associations may have further restrictions in place. Most property in Sisters Country is dually protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and may have additional rules on campfires, smoking, and equipment use. For more information contact Oregon Department of Forestry at 541-549-2731.

If property is currently registered for a burn permit with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District or the Cloverdale Fire District, some important updates have been made to the Burn Permit App and burn permit system. The app is now named “Before You Burn,” offering the same functionality, but with enhanced features and new tools. The new system includes local weather information, agency boundary maps to indicate property protection agencies in addition to local fire districts, and any restrictions those agencies have in place for burning. The Burn Permits app has been removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Users with the app already installed will no longer be able to access accounts via the mobile app, but can access the account at http://www.sistersfire.com. (Cloverdale residents http://www.cloverdalefire.com .) The new phone app will be available in late October.

All residents of Sisters and Cloverdale should register their address and schedule their burn days using the online systems noted above.

When debris burning opens, residents that have previously registered their address in the system should still check burning status daily and schedule a burn through the online system for each day they intend to burn. The requirement to check in each day is based on changing atmospheric and weather conditions such as wind or air dryness. The Fire District’s on-duty Shift Commanders will make a determination and update the system before 8 a.m. each day regarding whether burning will be allowed within the District.

Residents in Black Butte Ranch Fire District should contact the fire department at 541-595-2288 to schedule a burn.

The online reporting system allows Fire District staff the ability to see who is burning on a daily basis, immediately notify users of changing conditions, message important fire safety information, ensure that those planning to burn are aware of the City of Sisters outdoor burn ban, and verify the right jurisdiction is being notified of the planned burn.

Local fire departments will continue to monitor weather and fuel moisture conditions in their district and may make modifications on a day-to-day basis.

All residents should use extreme caution to help prevent wildfires. Violating the burn ban could result in legal consequences and fire response costs.