Burn pile tips from the Oregon Department of Forestry

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – As it gets closer to fire season, the Oregon Department of Forestry says it’s important to be aware of burn pile restrictions.

According to ODF, people can burn in debris piles or burn barrels right now as long as it is a burn day and they have the necessary permits.

But these burns can get out of hand with hot, dry, and windy weather conditions common during the spring.

ODF Public Information Officer Natalie Weber says it’s important to always check whether it is a burn day or not. This will help avoid accidentally causing an illegal burn.

“Especially as we get into spring, sometimes we’ll have days that start out as burn days and then the weather gets warm and windy and it will actually be canceled,” Weber said. “If you’re doing a burn, make sure that you’re checking in with that burn line to make sure that it’s still a burn day especially if it gets hot or windy.”

Weber says it’s also important to make sure once a debris burn is done the ground is completely cool to the touch.

The daily burn status can be checked in Jackson County by calling 541-776-7007. Josephine County residents can check the daily burn status by going to the county’s website.