If your week involved boondocking anywhere between Burns and Vale, replan. On July 28, 2026, BLM issued emergency closures on both the Vale and Burns Districts in Oregon around four active wildfires. The closures cut off access roads that dispersed campers use across large swaths of Harney and Malheur counties.
The details are on the agency’s own announcements: the Vale District closure and the Burns District closure, both released July 28. Both were verified today.
What is closed
The Vale District named four fires and organized the closures around them:
- Coleman Creek Fire, south of Highway 20
- Hat and Crowley Fires, north of Highway 78
- Big Grass Fire, south of Highway 95
The Burns District closure names the Stinkingwater Access Road and the Warm Springs to Stinkingwater Road, both closed to enhance safety around the Coleman Creek Fire. Emergency personnel are the only ones allowed through.
Neither announcement lists a specific expiration. The Vale District language is “until conditions improve and safe access can be re-established.” The Burns District language is “until further notice.” Fire orders often outlast the flames because the damage takes time to make safe again: burned trees fall across roads, culverts wash out, hot spots reignite. Do not assume the closure lifts when the fire is contained.
The Level 2 fire order on the open acres
Even outside the closure boundaries, the Vale District is under Level 2 fire restrictions. On land you are still allowed to camp on:
- No campfires, whether in a ring or not.
- No chainsaw operation between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- No smoking outside a vehicle or a cleared area.
- No off-road motor vehicle operation.
That means dispersed camping is technically still possible on unclosed Vale District land, but you cannot have a fire, you cannot leave the maintained road with your rig, and the daylight window for cutting firewood is narrow. Violations can carry fines and up to 12 months in prison per the order.
How to check before you drive
The two announcements link to a Fire Closures and Restrictions map for Oregon and Washington. That map moves as fires move. Before you head into Harney or Malheur County, or anywhere east of Bend on public land right now, do three things:
- Read the BLM OR/WA fire closures page for the current map.
- Check the specific field office you plan to camp in. Vale is 541-473-3144. Burns is 541-573-4400.
- When you arrive, read the posted signs and closure notices at the access point. The posted sign and the current agency order beat any website, including ours.
If eastern Oregon is out this week, western Oregon still has open forest. Our Oregon free camping page is the map for stay limits and dispersed camping rules across the state, including the Mt. Hood and Willamette national forests that continue to be reachable. The July 2026 fire summary tracks what is restricted where across the West more broadly.