LA GRANDE â A burn ban is now in place for all unincorporated areas of Union County.
The Union County Board of Commissioners put the burn ban into effect Monday, July 19, following a 3-0 vote.
This phase of the county's burn ban ordinance prohibits all burning in unincorporated areas of Union County except for regulated agricultural burning and gas and pellet barbecues.
The ban, which took effect immediately, is necessary because of dry and hot conditions and a scarcity of firefighting resources, said Union County Commissioner Donna Beverage.
The burn ban was proposed by the Union County Fire Defense Board, which is headed by Craig Kretschmer, chief of the La Grande Rural Fire Department.