Union County announces afternoon-only burn day Saturday, May 16

Union County told residents the Smoke Line was set for an afternoon-only burn day, meaning burning was allowed only in the afternoon and not at other times. The county said anyone planning to burn needed to check 541-963-4040 before lighting anything and keep a printed or digital copy of Ordinance 2024-02 with them, because that ordinance served as the permit authorization for that day only.

The county’s burn rules are strict outside city limits. Ordinance 2024-02 requires a burn permit issued by the local agency having jurisdiction for all open burning, and the county says burning is allowed only on days authorized and announced through the Smoke Line. Union County also warns that if the 541-963-4040 recording says it is a “no burn” day, the ordinance in a resident’s possession is not a valid permit for that day. The ordinance repealed and replaced Ordinance 1991-19, 2016-1 and 2018-1.

The afternoon-only notice matters most for landowners, growers and households handling debris in rural parts of Union County, especially in areas outside city limits where open burning is still part of seasonal land management. The county says its Smoke Management Program coordinates and issues agricultural field-burning permits, authorizes burning during field-burning season, and provides ground surveillance and limited weather forecasting. That program involves the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Union County Seed Growers Association, about 6 local fire protection districts and about 45 growers.

Union County also said burn barrel use during regulated fire season is allowed only from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in some circumstances described by the ordinance, while open burning remains prohibited except for regulated agricultural field burning. Residents in ODF-protected areas of the county must also follow any Oregon Department of Forestry restrictions and permit requirements. The day’s burn notice fit into a wider system meant to reduce escaped burns, smoke complaints and wildfire starts while still giving rural operators a legal way to manage agricultural and other outdoor burning needs.