Prescribed forest burning
Prescribed forest burning is a valuable tool for maintaining
a healthy forest and reducing risks to public safety. Prescribed forest burning
reduces forest fuels. By reintroducing periodic fire to fire-adapted
landscapes, it has also been shown to reduce the potential for high-intensity
wildfires and the huge volume of smoke produced by them. Fire suppression is
safer, more effective and costs less in areas with a recent history of
controlled burning. Prescribed forest burning also helps prepare logged sites
for replanting, recycling nutrients back into the soil and reducing pests and
disease. These planned fires are lit when fire danger is low and weather
conditions are favorable for protecting smoke sensitive receptor area (SSRAs)
communities from smoke.
Map of smoke-regulated areas in Oregon
Outdoor burning
Check with your local ODF district, protective association office or rural fire department before burning yard debris. Burn permits are required on all ODF protected lands during fire season. Many areas prohibit all burning when fire danger increases.