July 7, 2020 4:15 a.m.

While cooler weather has helped to moderate fire conditions temporarily, a recent spike in illegal burning is causing concern for local fire officials.

Kyle Reed of the Douglas Forest Protective Association said DFPA has responded to 17 illegal burns since the start of July.

Reed said “crews have responded to everything from debris piles, to burn barrels and even campfires”. Reed said while the burns were addressed before they had a chance to spread, he wants to remind residents that the use of open fire is either restricted or prohibited during fire season.

Reed said that includes all backyard debris burning, including debris piles and the use of burn barrels. He said DFPA is not issuing burn permits at this time. Reed said debris burning is one of the leading causes of wildfires each year throughout Oregon. Locally, debris burning accounted for 133 fires that burned nearly 400 acres within the Douglas District over the last ten years.

A DFPA release said campfires, cooking fires, and warming fires are also restricted under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions and are only allowed in designated campgrounds. Portable cooking stoves using liquified or bottled fuels are allowed elsewhere. Reed said while DFPA crews typically respond to several illegal or abandoned campfires each year, last summer’s Milepost 97 Fire has been the costliest for the Association to date. That fire, which resulted from an illegal campfire south of Canyonville, went on to burn over 13,000 acres of private, public and tribal lands, and cost nearly $22 million to suppress.

Reed said people found to be burning illegally can be fined up to $1,000, in addition to being billed for fire suppression costs if their actions result in the start of a wildfire. Illegal burns can be reported to DFPA by calling 672-6507 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. seven days a week. Outside of those hours, they can be reported by calling the Douglas County Communications non-emergency number at 440-4471.