Emergency Services - UNION COUNTY

Union County Energy Resilience Plan

Annette Powers — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:39:05 +0000

Union County Emergency Services is accepting public comment on the draft Union County Energy Resilience Plan.

The plan is a non-regulatory document that serves as a guiding framework to improve energy resilience in Union County. Developed with grant funding from the Oregon Department of Energy, it addresses short-, medium-, and long-term power outages, prioritizes essential services, and identifies energy infrastructure risks and facility needs, including improvements to energy resilience through backup power, local generation, and microgrids.

The draft plan is available for review at: Union County Energy Resilience Plan Draft March 2026

Public comments will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Comments may be submitted via email to ucem@union-county.org.

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Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) – 2026 Update

Annette Powers — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:39:54 +0000

Union County Emergency Services is accepting public comment on the updated 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

The CWPP is a non-regulatory document that serves as a guiding framework, offering recommendations and resources to help reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire in Union County. The plan addresses all CWPP objectives and meets the requirements of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, while aligning with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.

A key component of the plan is the Mitigation Action Items, which outline prioritized strategies and actions to strengthen community wildfire resilience.

The draft plan is available for review at: Community Wildfire Protection Plan – 2026

Public comments will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Comments may be submitted via email to ucem@union-county.org.

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Fire Season and Public Use Restriction Update

Annette Powers — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 19:08:46 +0000

Fire Season and Public Use Restriction Update

Union County remains under regulated fire season guidelines as outlined in 2024-02 Union County Ordinance. Open burning continues to be prohibited, with the exception of regulated agricultural field burning. The use of incinerators and burn barrels is permitted between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., provided they meet the requirements of the ordinance. Fire pits, fire appliances, and charcoal barbecues are allowed, and recreational campfires are permitted if specific guidelines are followed. These guidelines include containing fires within a rock-lined pit surrounded by dirt, rock, or a commercial fire ring. Combustible materials must be kept at least three feet from the fire ring, and readily combustible materials such as dry grass must be cleared at least ten feet around the fire site. The full ordinance is available on the Union County website at https://unioncountyor.gov/.

The Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests have announced a reduction in fire danger levels from high to moderate and have rescinded Phase A Public Use Restrictions. Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1 remains in effect, requiring certain precautions to minimize wildfire risk during commercial and industrial operations such as timber harvest or firewood cutting.

The Northeast Oregon Department of Forestry has also reduced fire danger to moderate, although fire season remains in effect for all lands under its protection.

The Union County burn line at 541-963-4040 remains out of service until further notice. For up-to-date information, residents are encouraged to visit the Union County website at https://unioncountyor.gov/ and the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at https://bmidc.org/.

Fire officials remind the public to remain cautious with all activities that could potentially spark a fire and appreciate the continued cooperation in preventing wildfires.

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Drought Declaration Issued in Union County

Annette Powers — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:49:29 +0000

Drought Declaration Issued in Union County

The Union County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously during their regular meeting this morning to declare a drought emergency for Union County.

In a presentation to the Commissioners, Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora explained that the entire county is currently experiencing drought conditions. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, approximately 50% of the county is listed as Severe Drought, with the remainder in Moderate Drought. While there has been some recent light precipitation, overall moisture levels remain well below average which is significantly impacting stream flows and soil moisture.

Even though the county experienced a strong snowpack mid-winter, the spring growing season – critical for crops and forage – was unusually dry. Over the past 60 days, nearly all areas in Union County have received less than 50% of their normal precipitation. As a result, crop yields are already reduced, and irrigation stream flows are declining rapidly.

This declaration allows affected residents and agricultural producers in Union County to access available state and federal drought relief programs.

The signed resolution is available for viewing through the link below.

Drought Declaration 2025-15

Posted July 16, 2025

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Regulated Use Fire Season Begins

Annette Powers — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 17:55:57 +0000

Regulated Use Fire Season Begins July 1

Union County’s regulated use fire season begins today, July 1, 2025, and continues through September 30, 2025, unless extended or modified. During this period, open burning is prohibited except for regulated agricultural field burning and authorized prescribed fires.

A complete list of regulations is available in the Union County Burn Ordinance 2024-02. Key highlights include:

Burn Barrel Use (6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. only)

Barrels must be in cleared areas, with a 10-foot radius free of flammable material and located at least 25 feet from any structure.
Must have a heavy metal screen and be attended at all times with water and a shovel.
Burning is prohibited on windy days.
ODF burn permit requirements apply in ODF-protected areas.

Recreational Fires & Fire Appliances

Allowed in fire rings under 6 feet in diameter, with 6-inch-high non-combustible walls.
Clear combustible material removed a minimum of three feet beyond the ring, and dry grasses a minimum of 10 feet around the ring.
Only natural materials such as untreated wood, paper, and vegetation may be burned.
Fires must be attended and fully extinguished.
ODF permit requirements apply in applicable areas.

Additional Restrictions

Should extreme fire danger arise, the Union County Board of Commissioners may enact a complete ban on outdoor fires outside incorporated cities upon recommendation from the Fire Defense Board. These regulations do not apply to gas barbecues or authorized agricultural burns.

Effective July 2, 2025, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will implement High Fire Danger Restrictions, due to dry weather and rising fire danger. These restrictions apply to all ODF-protected lands in Union, Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla, and parts of Malheur, Morrow, and Grant counties.

Up-to-date fire information can be found at www.bmidc.org. To report a fire: Call (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1.

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Ambulance Advisory Committee Meeting

Annette Powers — Tue, 06 May 2025 15:26:43 +0000

Ambulance Advisory Committee Meeting

The Union County Ambulance District Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Commissioner’s Annex Conference room located at 1106 K Avenue.

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Emergency Services Receives Wildhorse Foundation Grant

Annette Powers — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:31:31 +0000

Emergency Services Receives Wildhorse Foundation Grant

Union County Emergency Services has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation to enhance emergency medical service capabilities and provide advanced training for regional EMS providers.

The grant funded advanced trauma care training for four local EMS providers who also serve as medical staff on the NE Oregon Regional SWAT Team. These individuals attended a multi-day trauma care course designed to improve tactical medical response. Grant funds were also used to purchase specialized training supplies, including wound care materials, simulated injuries, fake blood, and other essential props to enhance hands-on training.

The EMS providers gained valuable knowledge and skills through this training, which they have since shared with colleagues through ongoing regional training efforts. This knowledge transfer has significantly strengthened the capabilities, confidence, and readiness of emergency responders across northeast Oregon.

The NE Oregon Regional SWAT Team, which serves multiple counties, identified enhanced medical training as a priority. This grant made it possible to improve training resources and ensure team members are better prepared for medical emergencies in tactical environments.

The purchase of trauma-based training supplies with the grant funds allows for the creation of realistic simulation exercises for EMS personnel. A regional training event was held in December 2024, in partnership with La Grande School District, bringing together ambulance service responders from the La Grande Fire Department and volunteer units from Cove, Elgin, Imbler, North Powder, and Union, along with personnel from the Baker City Police Department, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, La Grande Police Department, and Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Union County Emergency Services extends its sincere appreciation to the Wildhorse Foundation for its generous support, which has directly contributed to improving emergency medical response capabilities in our region.

Posted March 31, 2025

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Request for Proposals on the Development of Energy Resilience Plan

Annette Powers — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:25:56 +0000

Request for Proposals on the Development of County Energy Resilience Plan

Project Description: This project consists of the development of a written Energy Resilience Plan for Union County. The final plan must be provided to Union County in electronic format, including a complete version in PDF and an editable word processing file for the text portion. The plan must include the following:

Be based on and plan for short-term, medium-term, and long-term power outages.
Identify and map:
- Existing energy infrastructure in the county including transmission lines, distribution lines, substations, and energy storage systems.
- Natural hazard risks.
- Communities that experience social vulnerability.
  - A county must consult with representatives from local environmental justice communities to identify and map communities that experience social vulnerabilities.
- Identify potential locations for community resilience centers and communication zones that the public may use to access electricity services during a power outage.
  - A county must use the locations of communities that experience social vulnerabilities to prioritize the potential locations of community resilience centers.
- Inventory the energy consumption needs of critical public services facilities.
  - A “critical public services facility” includes a facility related to law enforcement, fire protection, health and medical services, sanitation services, fuel and fueling, public works and engineering, public information, and communications and emergency response.
- Identify critical public services facilities where the development of alternate energy generation and storage resources will meet local energy resilience needs.
- Identify opportunities to coordinate and locate energy infrastructure development to align with and support critical public services facilities.
- Identify time schedules, priorities, and potential funding sources for developing energy resilience.
- Identify other actions and resources needed to implement the energy resilience plan.
- The contractor will be required to schedule and plan any meetings necessary for plan development, though the meetings may be hosted by Union County. At least one meeting with relevant local stakeholder organizations is desired.

Due date: Submitted proposals shall be marked “Union County Energy Resilience Plan Proposal”, and be delivered to the Union County Administrative Office located at 1106 K Avenue, La Grande, Oregon 97850, by February 26, 2025 by 5:00 p.m.

Completion Date: Selected contractor must complete the Union County Energy Resilience Plan no later than August 1, 2025, however, an extension may be available upon request to extend the deadline to December 31, 2025.

Questions may be directed to Nick Vora, Union County Emergency Manager, by email at nvora@union-county.org.

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Regulated Use Fire Season Ends for 2024

Annette Powers — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:36:25 +0000

Regulated Use Fire Season Ends for 2024

Union County Ends Regulated Use Fire Season for 2024

The Union County Board of Commissioners voted today during a regular session to end the regulated use fire season for 2024, effective immediately. This decision follows a recommendation from the Union County Fire Defense Board.

Fire Defense Board Chief Craig Kretschmer emphasized that while conditions remain dry and the risk of human-caused fires cannot be ignored, cooler temperatures and fall weather patterns support ending the fire season.

Chief Kretschmer also highlighted the importance of continuing to follow the burn permit process, which can be accessed by calling the burn permit line at (541) 963-4040. The daily recording will provide guidance on weather conditions and air quality, and will indicate if burning is permitted all day, in the morning only, in the afternoon only, or not at all.

The burn permit process has been slightly revised as individuals are now required to have a copy of County Ordinance 2024-02 in their possession when conducting open burns. This can be either a paper copy or a digital version. The ordinance itself serves as the burn permit, but calling the burn permit line is still required each day before burning. Ordinance 2024-02 is available on the county website at www.unioncountyor.gov.

Public use restrictions remain in effect for the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The Northeast Oregon Department of Forestry is still in fire season and has entered moderate fire danger for all lands under its protection. Visitors to these areas are encouraged to stay informed of the latest regulations by visiting the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at https://bmidc.org.

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Union County Eases Restrictions on Countywide Burn Ban

Annette Powers — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:00:53 +0000

Union County Eases Restrictions on Countywide Burn Ban

The Union County Board of Commissioners voted today during a regular session to lift the countywide burn ban, effective immediately. This decision followed a recommendation from the Union County Fire Defense Board. Fire Defense Board Chief Craig Kretschmer explained that due to decreased fire danger and an increase in available initial attack resources, the board advises transitioning from the burn ban back to the annual regulated use closure.

Chief Kretschmer also proposed extending the regulated use closure until October 2, 2024, with a reevaluation scheduled for the October 2 Board of Commissioners meeting. The Fire Defense Board will continue to monitor conditions, and the Board of Commissioners approved the extension.

As outlined in County Ordinance 2024-02, Union County remains under regulated fire season guidelines. Open burning is still prohibited, except for regulated agricultural field burning. Incinerators and burn barrels may be used between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., provided they meet ordinance requirements. Fire pits, fire appliances, and charcoal barbecues are permitted. Recreational campfires must follow specific guidelines, including the use of rock-lined fire pits surrounded by dirt, rock, or commercial rings. All combustible materials must be at least three feet away from the fire ring, and readily combustible materials such as dry grass must be cleared a minimum of 10 feet around the fire ring. The full ordinance is available on the Union County website at www.union-county.org.

Public use restrictions remain in place for the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. The Northeast Oregon Department of Forestry has entered moderate fire danger but remains in fire season for all lands under its protection. Visitors to these areas are encouraged to stay informed of the latest regulations by visiting the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at https://bmidc.org.

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Evacuation Levels lifted for Boulder Creek Fire

Annette Powers — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 23:18:53 +0000

Evacuation Levels Lifted for Boulder Creek Fire

Evacuation Levels Lifted for Boulder Creek Fire

August 22, 2024 UPDATE

Effective immediately, all Level 1 (Be Ready) and Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation levels associated with the Boulder Creek Fire have been lifted. Residents who were previously under these notices may now return to normal activities.

While this area is predominantly wilderness, it is a popular destination for outdoor recreation. The safety of everyone who enjoys this space was our utmost concern during the fire response. We appreciate the cooperation of the public in staying clear of the area and allowing emergency personnel to perform their duties.

We extend our gratitude to the firefighting crews, emergency personnel, and the community for their cooperation and efforts during this event.

Level 1 and 2 Evacuation Notice Issued for Boulder Creek Fire

Issued in coordination with Baker and Union County and in consultation with U.S. Forest Service fire officials

A Level 1 (Be Ready) and Level 2 (Be set) evacuation notice has been issued for the Boulder Creek Fire, which is burning approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Boulder Park in Union County. Residents in the affected areas are urged to stay alert to fire activity and potential trail closures. Please avoid the area near active fire or in drainages with active fire, and be aware that conditions can change rapidly, potentially impacting travel plans or necessitating emergent evacuations.

U.S. Forest Service crews are engaged with the fire and are also currently conducting structural assessments to protect any structures that may be threatened by the fire. Given the steep and rugged terrain, firefighting efforts are being supported by rappel crews and helicopters aiding suppression efforts with water drops.

The Boulder Creek Fire is currently burning in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and has grown to approximately 150 acres. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

Residents and recreationists in the following areas are under an evacuation notice:
A Level 2 (Be Set) Evacuation notice for the following areas:
• North of the Union-Baker County line, east of Peaks 8271, 8881, and Snowfield Peak, South of Arrow Lake Peak, and West of Eagle Creek. Includes Copper Creek and portion of Boulder Creek.
Level 2: Means “BE SET” to evacuate. You must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice as this level indicates there is significant danger to your area.

Level 1 (Be Ready) Pre-Evacuation Notice:
• Baker County: The area west of the USFS 7755 Rd south from county line to Two Color Guard Station. East of West Eagle Trailhead and USFS 77 Rd from County line south to USFS 7700-450 Road.
• Union County: The area east of West Eagle Creek north of county line to the ridgeline south and east of Echo and Traverse Lakes. This area extends east to Eagle Creek north of the level two area and includes Heart Lake, Arrow Lake, and Bench Canyon.
Level 1: Means “BE READY“ for potential evacuation. Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area.

For current area fire information, visit the Blue Mountain Fire Information site at: https://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/

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Ambulance Advisory Subcommittee Meeting

Annette Powers — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:58:02 +0000

Ambulance Advisory Subcommittee Meeting

The Union County Ambulance Advisory Subcommittee will meet Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. to discuss and evaluate the request of a reassignment of the Union Ambulance Service Area.

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