2021 Fire Season Ends Wednesday, October 6th

The Douglas Forest Protective Association (DFPA) and the Roseburg District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will officially end the 2021 fire season on Wednesday, October 6th at 12:01am, for lands under their protection and management. The end of fire season is a result of recent wetting rains and an overall cooling trend which has returned to the area.

With the end of fire season, both the public and industrial fire restrictions that were implemented through DFPA and Roseburg BLM will no longer be in effect.

A list of fire restrictions and closures in place through private industrial landowners can be found online at https://ofic.com/private-forestland-closures/.

Some closures remain in place for public lands managed by the BLM Roseburg District in the Kent Creek area. For further information on closures specific to public lands, please visit: https://blm.gov/orwafire.

Additional information on the Roseburg District BLM and status of recreation areas are available at: https://www.blm.gov/office/roseburg-district-office.

Backyard debris burning outside of incorporated cities will be allowed without a burn permit from DFPA, however, residents should contact their local fire department before conducting any type of debris burning as fire restrictions may vary between local fire districts. The only type of burning that requires a permit from DFPA outside of fire season is for the burning of logging slash. Any type of commercial tree harvest that requires excess debris to be burned constitutes logging slash and therefore requires a burn permit. Permits to burn logging slash can be obtained by calling DFPA at (541) 672-6507.

Despite fire season coming to an end, fire officials advise residents to exercise caution when burning yard debris or when using fire in the woods. Several days of sunshine and dry weather during the fall months can create a fire risk even if a week or more of cool, wet conditions precede them.

When burning yard debris, make sure to have an adequate fire trail around the pile before ignition begins and have fire tools and a water supply at the burn site. Debris piles should never be left unattended and should be fully extinguished before leaving the area. If a debris burn escapes containment, the responsible party may be held financially responsible for the resulting fire suppression costs and associated damages.

Moderate Fire Danger

The warming and drying conditions that are forecasted to return to the Umpqua Basin has prompted the Douglas Forest Protective Association to increase the fire danger to Moderate effective Tuesday, September 21st at 12:01AM. The increase in fire danger applies to all 1.6 million acres of land protected by DFPA. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain at IFPL II (two). Under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions, a moderate fire danger rating changes the shutdown times for several non-industrial activities. During moderate fire danger, the following activities are prohibited between the hours of 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM:

• The cutting, trimming, or mowing of dried or cured grass. This restriction does not apply to the mowing
of green lawns. The use of battery or electric string trimmers and the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops is exempt from this restriction.
• The cutting, grinding, or welding of metal for non-industrial purposes.
• The use of power saws for non-industrial purposes.
• Any non-industrial improvement or development taking place on private property that utilizes power driven machinery not specifically mentioned in the Public Use Restrictions.

The following fire prevention measures listed under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions remain in effect and are unchanged:
• Backyard debris burning, including the use of burn barrels, is prohibited.
• Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires, and warming fires, except at designated sites. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed elsewhere.
• Smoking is prohibited in wildland areas except in vehicles, in boats on the water, or at other designated locations.
• The use of fireworks is prohibited.
• Motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, are only allowed on improved roads free of flammable vegetation, except for those used for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops. In addition, each vehicle traveling on forest roads must have an axe, a shovel, AND one gallon of water or one operational 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher.
• Any electric fence controller in use shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or be certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and be operated in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

In addition to DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions, state law prohibits the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition during a declared fire season and the use sky lanterns is prohibited year-round in Oregon. Additional fire restrictions or closures may be in place through private industrial landowners or public land management agencies on the lands they own or manage. For a detailed list of all fire restrictions that are currently in effect, visit www.dfpa.net or call DFPA’s information line at 541-672-0379.

Fire Danger moves to Extreme

During extreme fire danger, the following activities listed under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions
are prohibited:
• The use of power saws for non-industrial purposes is prohibited.
• The cutting, grinding, or welding of metal for non-industrial purposes is prohibited.
• The mowing or trimming of dead or dry grass is prohibited.

This restriction does not apply to the mowing of green maintained lawns, which is not restricted.

The use of battery or electric powered string trimmers and the culture and harvest of agricultural crops are
exempt from this requirement.
• Any non-industrial improvement or development taking place on private property that
utilizes power driven machinery not specifically mentioned in DFPA’s Public Use
Restrictions is prohibited.

Job Openings

Douglas County Fire District #2 is now accepting applications for Entry level Firefighter/Paramedic. See our Careers page for job description and application. Or click Here.

NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETINGS

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of Douglas County Fire District No. 2, to discuss the budget for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022 will be held at 2830 Melrose Rd, in Roseburg.  The meeting will take place on the 1st of June 2021, 5:30 p.m.  The purpose of the meetings is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. 

A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained after May 10th, 2021 or at Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Headquarters, 1400 Buckhorn Road in Roseburg between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  These are public meetings where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place.  Any person may appear at the meetings and discuss the proposed budget with the Budget Committee. Current State of Oregon required social distancing and mask measures will be enforced at public meetings.