Bend Fire & Rescue, in conjunction with the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (COFCA), announces the date of closing of open debris burning. The last day to conduct outdoor debris burning is May 31st. Starting June 1st, debris will be closed for fire season. Outdoor debris burning in the city limits of Bend is closed year-round by City of Bend Ordinance.
Backyard fires which include warming fires, campfires and cooking fires are typically allowed year-round within the City of Bend and the areas covered by Deschutes County Rural Fire District #2 that surrounds the City, when used within the guidelines set forth in the Bend Fire & Rescue Burning Regulations. Additional restrictions on campfires can be placed during the hottest parts of summer to help reduce the risk of fire further. Check the restrictions every time you burn by calling our burn information line at 541-322-6335.
Bend Fire & Rescue Burn Regulations are available online at www.bendoregon.gov/burninginfo
As a reminder for everyone living in Central Oregon, be sure your home has good defensible space around it to help protect your home from the threat of wildfire. More information about creating defensible space and preparing for the upcoming fire season can be found on our website at www.bendoregon.gov/own-your-zone.
Be advised that regulations may vary between fire protection jurisdictions. Please contact your local, state or federal fire agency for specific requirements and closures.
The U.S. Forest Service will continue to conduct prescribed burns throughout Central Oregon as long as conditions remain favorable. This closure only affects private property that is not within U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction. The prescribed burning done by the Deschutes National Forest and other national forests around Oregon help decrease the risk of high-severity wildfire to our communities in Central Oregon. This work helps create healthy and safe forests for generations to come. Deschutes National Forest provided this information about their prescribed burn operations:
“Our prescribed burns are staffed with professional firefighters – the same firefighters that spend their summers protecting our communities from wildfires. Should there be a need, additional engines, dozers, and other firefighting equipment is ready to respond. A qualified burn boss leads prescribed burns. Qualified burn bosses typically have 15+ years of experience fighting wildfire and implementing prescribed burns. The burn boss closely monitors the weather and fuels conditions and is in frequent communication with our smoke specialists and weather forecasters. Although we collaborate closely with local government agencies and we mutually respond to wildfires, the Deschutes National Forest does not provide direction for debris burning on private lands.”
Effective June 1, 2024, Redmond Fire & Rescue will close all outdoor debris burning for the season, until further notice. During this closure, all outdoor debris burning is prohibited in all areas served by Redmond Fire & Rescue in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.
As a reminder, the closure of outdoor debris burning prohibits all of the following:
1. Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
2. Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, ditches etc.).
3. Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris or controlled burning.
The burn ban does not prohibit:
1. Small outdoor cooking, warming or recreational fires at residential properties. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.
2. Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.
There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF)-protected land. ODF restrictions may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, and other public/private landowner and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available at Oregon Department of Forestry Public Fire Restrictions.
Outdoor fires in violation of this closure may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this closure, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as legal fees per ORS 478.965. Burning restrictions are authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 478.960, Oregon Fire Code 307 and Redmond Fire & Rescue Ordinance 5.
Fire Officials in Deschutes County encourage the public to use extreme caution with activities that could start a fire. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and be prepared for wildfires. Residents are encouraged to continue exercising caution and taking steps to prevent and prepare for the threat of wildfires. That includes:
Creating defensible space:
• Mowing and watering lawns.
• Removing brush, dry grass, and leaves from underneath decks and crawlspaces.
• De-limbing tree branches 10 feet off the ground and well away from your roof.
• Planting low-growing, fire-resistant plants near your home.
• Eliminating fuel sources near and around your home – firewood, fuel tanks, etc.
Maintaining access:
• The road or driveway to your home should be clear of all debris, dense vegetation, and low-hanging branches. Turn-out areas are needed if the road or driveway to your home is not large enough for two-way traffic or your home is located at the end of a long driveway or dead-end road.
• The driveway to your home should be designed without sharp curves or steep grades.
• If crossing a bridge is necessary to access your home, it should support 75,000 pounds.
Signing up for Alerts:
To make sure you are receiving the most current alerts regarding Emergency Evacuations (Fire, Flooding, Public Welfare, etc.), Natural Disasters (Fire, Flooding, etc.), Severe Weather or Neighborhood Emergencies, you can sign up for Deschutes Alerts.
