To help reduce wildfire risk, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted on April 29 to approve seasonal public use fire restrictions for all county-owned property and all unprotected lands in unincorporated areas of Deschutes County.
This year, pile burning is prohibited from April 30 through October 15. All other seasonal fire restrictions will take effect June 1 and remain in place through October 15.
“The County has put fire restrictions in place each year since 2014 to help prevent wildfires,” said Lauren Street, Deschutes County Natural Resources Specialist. “As we move into warmer, drier weather, we’re asking everyone to use caution, follow the rules and help protect people, homes and natural resources across our community.”
Beginning June 1, additional public use fire restrictions include:
- Open fires are prohibited. This includes campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except in designated areas. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed.
- Smoking is prohibited while traveling on unimproved roads, including gravel and dirt roads or natural landscape routes.
- Chainsaw use is prohibited from 1 to 8pm. Chainsaw may be used at other times if firefighting equipment is on site and a one-hour fire watch follows each use.
- Fireworks are prohibited.
- Motorized vehicles are prohibited on unimproved roads. This includes all-terrain vehicles. Landowners may use vehicles on their own property while doing work tied to their livelihood.
- Power or gas mowers and similar equipment are prohibited from 1 to 8pm. This does not apply to the commercial growing and harvest of agricultural crops.
County staff urge the public to always check current fire restrictions and avoid any outdoor activity that could spark a wildfire.
A complete list of Deschutes County public use fire restrictions along with a map of the affected areas is available on the Natural Resources website.
