Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Discuss Closing Open Debris Burning
For Immediate Release: April 14, 2026
The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (COFCA) is closely following local drought declarations, and the seasonal fire outlook. Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and north Klamath Counties are abnormally dry with portions already in severe drought.
“We experienced a mild winter with low snowpack. Given the current and expected conditions, we need the public’s help to prevent accidental fire starts.”, said COFCA Chair Todd Riley, Fire Chief for Bend Fire & Rescue.
Burning residential debris piles in most fire districts will not be allowed after midnight on Thursday, April 30, 2026. This is a month earlier than previous years because of the increased risk. Each fire district will assess conditions on a daily basis to determine if burning is allowed. Many will stay closed until the fall.
The Oregon Department of Forestry introduced a new tool to help you know if you can burn. Before You Burn is a website and app that gives real-time weather, local agency guidance, and burn condition updates just by entering your address.
Instead of burning, there are other ways to lower wildfire risk. Options include chipping, hauling to a landfill or transfer site, or piling and covering in place. More information for preventing wildfires, fire department listings, and fire restrictions can also be found at centraloregonfire.org.
CONTACT: Todd Riley, Fire Chief, Bend Fire & Rescue
Chair, Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association
541-322-6300
Below is a list of phone numbers for Central Oregon agencies.
541-322-6335 – Bend/Deschutes Rural District #2
5541-433-2451 – Crescent Fire District
541-536-9056 – La Pine Fire Department
541-504-5035 – Redmond Fire & Rescue
541-549-2333 – Sisters-Camp Sherman
541-383-5300 – Deschutes National Forest
541-416-6700 – Bureau of Land Management
541-447-5658 – Oregon Department of Forestry Prineville Unit
541-549-2731 – Oregon Department of Forestry Sisters Sub-Unit
541-433-2451 – Walker Range Fire Patrol Association
Together, with responsible actions by individuals and pre-season readiness from our fire service, Central Oregon will be able to head into another fire year safely.
Employment Opportunities
The La Pine Fire District is seeking an experienced Financial Director. For more information, please click here
The La Pine Fire District is seeking an experienced Deputy Chief. For more information, please click here
Legal Notice of Annual Budget Committee Meeting
A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District, Deschutes County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, will be held at Station 101, 51550 Huntington Rd., La Pine. The meeting will take place on April 23, 2026, at 6:30 pm. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the proposed 2026/2027 budget, hear budget message and take public comment. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 20, 2026, at 51590 Huntington Rd., La Pine, Monday through Thursday between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
For Today’s Debris Burning Information, call 541-536-9056
Burn permits are required for both debris and warming fires and can be downloaded free from our website or found in a metal box outside each of our stations front doors. The permit instructions must be followed and the burn line called each time you intend to burn as weather conditions may vary and necessitate temporary closures. Thank you to all of our community members for helping us make this a safe fire season.
Klamath County Free Dump Days
May 2nd will be the free dump days for Klamath County. Crescent Transfer and Chemult Landfill will be accepting free loads of brush, wood, leaves, and mulch. No stumps allowed.
La Pine Fire District Receives Updated Community ISO Insurance Rating
The District has received great news for our community. Our ISO insurance rating, which was already considered good, was recently lowered to an even better number. You can read more about it by clicking here.
Notice of La Pine Fire District Board of Directors Meeting
The Board of Directors of the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District will hold a Regular Board Meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the fire station located at 51550 Huntington Road, La Pine. Requests for public comment must be made in writing by US Mail or by emailing admin@lapinefire.com and must be received by 3 p.m. the day prior to the meeting. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities, and you may click here on the Meeting Link to view the meeting live from your computer. Complete agendas or request for interpreter for the hearing impaired or for the accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting through the district administrative office at 51590 Huntington Road, La Pine.
Form 1095-C
Employees may request a copy of their Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage statement at any time by calling or emailing the Admin office.
Emergency Information Dashboard available to the public
Please bookmark deschutes.org/emergency for future use, and encourage others to use it for accurate and timely information regarding incidents where evacuation notices are in place. We endeavor to update this dashboard as quickly as possible and as often as needed for events that necessitate evacuations or have major impacts. During an incident, it will include shelter location information (if shelters are being utilized), a situation update, and text from any Deschutes Alerts messages that have been sent to impacted community members.
THANK YOU TO THE LA PINE COMMUNITY FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
“Minimizing pain, suffering and the loss of life & property through prevention,
fire suppression, rescue & emergency medical services.”