FIRE SEASON COMES TO AN END
Fire officials with the Douglas Forest Protective Association will officially end fire season on the Douglas District Sunday, October 28th at 12:01 a.m. This will also signify an end to fire season in DCFD#2 areas.
With the end of fire season, Industrial Fire Restrictions on DFPA protected land will no longer be in effect. Backyard debris burning outside of incorporated cities will be allowed without a burn permit from DFPA, however residents should contact their local fire department before conducting any burning as fire restrictions may vary between local fire districts. The only type of burning that requires a permit from DFPA outside of fire season is for the burning of logging slash. Any type of commercial tree harvest that requires excess debris to be burned constitutes logging slash and therefore requires a burn permit. Permits to burn logging slash can be obtained by calling DFPA at 541-672-6507.
Despite fire season coming to an end, fire officials advise residents to exercise caution when burning or using fire in the woods. Several days of sunshine and dry weather during the fall months can create a fire risk even if a week or more of rainy, cool conditions precedes them. When burning yard debris, make sure to have an adequate fire trail around the pile or incinerator and never leave the burn unattended. If a fire escape containment, the responsible party may be held financially responsible for the resulting fire suppression costs and associated damages.
The 2018 fire season began on June 8th and lasted 142 days. Firefighters suppressed 95 fires which burned about 270 acre within the Douglas District. Lightning sparked 9 of those fires that burned about 110 acres, most of which was on private land within the Miles Fire. 86 human caused fires scorched roughly 160 acres, with about 100 of those acres resulting from the Mile Post 163 fires.