10/23/2026
ODF PRESS RELEASE: Northeast Oregon District Declares an End to Fire Season
La Grande, OR – Effective 12:01 a.m. on October 24, 2026, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will officially end fire season for all forestlands protected by the Northeast Oregon District. This includes over 2 million acres of private, state, county, municipal, and tribal lands across Baker, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties, as well as portions of Grant and Malheur counties. With the conclusion of fire season, landowners under ODF protection may resume burning residential yard debris and using burn barrels without a permit. However, this change does not relieve anyone of their legal responsibility to burn safely and responsibly. "Landowners should continue to exercise caution when burning," said Justin Lauer, District Forester. “Periods of dry weather remain a possibility throughout the fall and early winter. Every year we respond to fires that have escaped during brief dry conditions after an end to fire season has been declared. Before burning, always check the smoke management forecast and contact your local ODF office with any questions or clarification.”
Burning & Smoke Management Guidelines
• Residential Burning (Yard Debris/Burn Barrels): If you are not within a rural or city fire department jurisdiction, no burn permit is required on lands protected solely by ODF's Northeast Oregon District. However, if you are within a fire department’s protection area or the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), check with them directly for current restrictions and permit requirements.
• Slash Burning (Forestry/Logging): Burning of slash from forestry operations requires a Notification of Operation/PDM, as well as check the smoke management weather forecast:
Call: 541-963-4040
ODF’s Northeast Oregon District sincerely thanks landowners, forest operators, the public, and interagency partners for their support in fire prevention, detection, and suppression throughout the 2026 fire season.
For more information, contact your local ODF office:
• La Grande Unit: (541) 963-3168
• Baker City Sub-Unit: (541) 523-5831
• Wallowa Unit: (541) 886-2881
• Pendleton Unit: (541) 276-3491
