Fire Season Comes to An End

Shared by Kyle Reed, Cow Creek Umpqua Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

The Douglas Forest Protective Association officially ended fire season on October 21. The end of fire season means that all Public and Industrial Fire Restrictions implemented through DFPA have been removed.

Backyard Debris Burning

Backyard debris burning outside of incorporated cities is now allowed without a permit from DFPA. If you live inside of an incorporated city, please check with your local fire department before burning as some cities do require burn permits year around and/or have designated burn seasons. 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 as logging slash.

If you choose to burn yard debris, it is still recommended to follow these precautions:

• Have a fire trail around the pile before ignition begins and to have fire tools and water on site during the burn.
• Make sure the pile is fully extinguished before leaving the area, as burn piles can hold heat and reignite on warm windy days, even when preceded by cool, wet conditions.
• Know that if a debris burn escapes containment outside of fire season, the responsible party is still responsible for the resulting fire suppression costs and associated damages.