JOHN DAY – Amid fire and drought concerns, the Oregon Department of Forestry is calling an early halt – this Friday – to the slash and ag burn season in the John Day Unit.

The unit will not issue any new permits for logging slash or machine piles burning after this Friday. Existing permit holders also will be notified of Friday’s deadline.

Large agricultural burns will be allowed by exception only after that date.

The only permitted burning after Friday will be backyard burns and burn barrels, which usually are allowed until fire season begins, usually in June or July.

ODF officials cite fire conditions, lack of snowpack, lack of resources for response, and budget issues for the early end to the landowner burn season. In recent years, landowners have been able to burn to the end of March – or later if conditions were wet enough.