FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - SAFE BURNING PRACTICES

Q: How do I know if I can burn today?
R: Call the burn message at 541-451-1904. The message is usually updated by 8:30 every morning. If you want to burn slash you will have to contact ODF to find out if slash burning is allowed.

Q: When is burning typically allowed in Oregon?
R: There is a spring (March 1st through June 15th) and a fall (October 1st through December 15th) burn season. These burn seasons are not "set in stone" and may be postponed or shortened by the Linn County Fire Defense Board due to extreme fire danger.

Q: The conditions are perfect for burning today, why won't you let me burn?
R: The Harrisburg Fire District has no control over this decision. The Department of Agriculture, DEQ, and ODF make all decisions on when burning is allowed. Their decision is based primarily on smoke management considerations. Burn bans initiated by the Linn County Fire Defense Board are based upon fire danger.

Q: I want to complain about the smoke coming from my neighbors burn pile, who can I contact?
R: The DEQ handles all complaints. They can be reached at 800-349-7677.

Q: Do I need a permit to burn?
R: YES!
For recreational, ceremonial, and backyard burns, contact Harrisburg Fire District office to obtain permit.
For slash burning:
a) If you are outside the ODF overlap area, contact Harrisburg Fire District office to obtain permit.
b) If you are within the ODF Overlap or ODF protection district area and wish to burn slash, you will need a written permit from ODF.

Q: When can I burn slash?
R: You can burn slash when the Department of Forestry opens slash burning in their district.

Q: That's all fine and dandy, but I am not in their district, I am within the boundaries of the Harrisburg Fire District.
R: We understand that, however, the Fire Marshal for the Harrisburg Fire District does not allow slash burning within the boundaries of our district until the Department of Forestry has opened slash burning in their district.

Q: It's not slash, it's just limbs and stuff left over from when they logged.
R: If it came from a "logging" operation it is classified as slash.

Q: Why can't I burn my slash? Backyard burning is allowed and my neighbor is burning a pile of leaves and limbs from when he pruned his apple tree. Why is slash burning not allowed yet?
R: Even though it's a burn day and your neighbor is burning his yard debris, the Department of Forestry has not opened slash burning and, for the following reasons, you cannot burn your slash until they do.

1) Yard debris is typically small in size, lighter weight fuel, that when burned will generally burn itself out in just a few hours.
2) In addition to smaller lighter fuels, slash from logging operations generally contains larger fuels such as tree trunks, root wads, and very large limbs. These larger fuels may burn for days and even weeks and pose high hazard for holdover fires for long periods of time.

Q: When will the Department of Forestry open slash burning?
R: They will make the determination to open slash burning when they are sure that the fire danger has dropped to an acceptable level. They base their decision on rainfall, fuel moisture, expected weather trends, and other factors. In any case, it is not unusual for ODF to open slash burning around November 1st, and quite often, even later than that.