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Deschutes County adopts summer public-use restrictions to reduce wildfire starts
Summary
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on April 29 approved Resolution 2026-015 to impose public-use restrictions on unprotected and county-owned lands to reduce human-caused wildfire starts, aligning open-pile burn closure with other agencies. The measure passed by voice vote.
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted April 29 to adopt Resolution 2026-015, imposing public-use restrictions on unprotected private lands and county-owned tax lots to reduce human-caused wildfire starts.
The resolution, presented by Natural Resources specialist Lauren Street, recommends closing open-pile debris burning on April 30 and beginning broader public-use restrictions on unprotected lands on June 1 to align public messaging with Oregon Department of Forestry and local fire partners. "We are here to propose a resolution to impose public use restrictions ... to lessen wildfire starts on unprotected lands as well as Deschutes County-owned tax lots," Street said during the briefing.
Why it matters: County staff told commissioners that Central Oregon is moving into a warmer, drier season and that the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs convened to recommend early restrictions on open-pile burns. The board discussed whether to set the broader restriction start date earlier than June 1; staff explained June 1 was chosen to match typical Oregon Department of Forestry timing and to reduce public confusion across agencies. Commissioners noted local dryness and recent fire activity near Sisters as reasons for vigilance.
What the resolution does: As presented, the resolution: (1) designates unprotected lands (areas outside structural fire protection districts and ODF protection) and county-owned tax lots as subject to public-use restrictions this summer; (2) sets the open-pile burn closure date (noted in the presentation as April 30) and the broader public-use restriction start (presented as June 1); and (3) applies to campfires, warming fires and similar open flame activities on the county properties identified in the staff recommendation.
Board action and reaction: The motion to adopt Resolution 2026-015 was seconded and carried by voice vote (the board recorded affirmative votes). Commissioners and staff emphasized the need to provide residents with safe, cost-effective disposal options for defensible-space work and to coordinate consistent public messaging with partner agencies.
Next steps: Staff will implement the closures and public information campaign in coordination with local fire districts and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The resolution text was entered into the public record as Resolution 2026-015.
