Site Editor – Malheur County Oregon

Wildfire Season Readiness

Site Editor — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:23:39 +0000

When wildfire threatens our region, preparation makes all the difference. This guide covers everything from what to pack and how to prepare your home inside and out, to when and how to evacuate safely. Whether you’re leaving in minutes or have time to secure your property — plus proven tips on how to donate and volunteer effectively so your generosity actually helps. Visit our full Wildfire page for the complete checklist, packing guide, home prep steps, key contacts, and more.

Click Here for Wildfire Evacuation Brochure

Click Here for How to Donate Sucessfully

Click Here for Malheur Countys Page Dedicated to Wildfires

Welcome to Malheur County

Site Editor — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:36:03 +0000

It is the mission of Malheur County to administrate an economically sound local government, while maintaining the highest standards of leadership and service.

Malheur County is located in beautiful Eastern Oregon. It is a place filled with fascinating history, diverse landscape and friendly people. Malheur County is one of Oregon’s best-kept secrets! Located in Oregon’s southeast corner, the county is the state’s second largest. It is 94 percent rangeland, two-thirds of which is controlled by the Federal Bureau of Land Management. Today, irrigated fields in the county’s northeastern corner, known as Western Treasure Valley, are the center of intensive and diversified farming.

One of Malheur County’s greatest resources is its people — people that still believe in hard work and traditional values. Malheur County has beautiful, enchanting scenery and a wide variety of excellent recreational opportunities.

The name Malheur is French for “misfortune.” Legend has it some French trappers and traders were in the area searching for furs. Their trip was unsuccessful and they were attacked by Indians, a portion of the party was killed and others wounded. Because of the misfortunes of their trip, the French named the river Malheur, or loosely translated, “unhappy river.”

The county was created in 1887, and Henry C. Murray was appointed the first sheriff. Vale was granted temporary status as county seat, and battled with Ontario and Jordan Valley for the permanent title. The law called for a majority vote, and a county-wide election was held in 1888. Vale won the election, with Jordan Valley second and Ontario third, but because Vale did not receive the required majority, a second election between the top two contenders was held, with Vale receiving 459 votes and Jordan Valley 138.

The first courthouse was built in 1887, for $1,400. Rhinehart donated the site for a new courthouse, and a committee raised and donated $10,000 for the two-story stone building completed in 1902.

In addition to Ontario, Jordan Valley, and Vale, there are several other communities of size in Malheur County: Nyssa and Adrian are incorporated cities, while Juntura, Ironside, Jamieson, Westfall, Harper, Arock, Annex and Brogan are unincorporated communities.

Notice of Hearing

Site Editor — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 22:08:51 +0000

NOTICE OF HEARING

The Malheur County Court, acting as the governing body of the Malheur County Ambulance Service District will hold a hearing on July 22, 2026 at 9:15 a.m. at the Malheur County Courthouse, 251 B Street West, Vale, Room 106 and electronically at: https://meet.goto.com/MCPZ/malheur-county-court to hear public comments on Amended Resolution R26-21; and Election Order: In the Matter of Referring to the Electors the Question of Increasing the Annual Fixed Charge of the Malheur County Ambulance Service District (ASD) to Provide Additional Revenue for Personnel, Supplies and Maintenance Countywide and Adopting a Ballot Title and Explanatory Statement to be included in State Voters’ Pamphlet. Written comments must be received before the hearing and may be emailed to: kim.ross@malheurco.org. The resolution and explanatory statement are available below.

Resolution and Explanatory Statement

Arguments favoring or opposing this measure to be included in the State Voters’ Pamphlet must be filed with the County Clerk no later than August 14, 2026. The filing fee is $300.

BURN BAN ORDERED

Site Editor — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:00:10 +0000

Effective June 12th, a BURN BAN for each of the fire districts, as well as the Unincorporated areas of Malheur County will be in effect. Due to a wet spring, our fuels are extra high this year and the threat of causing a major fire event are high. Trash should be hauled off to land-fills during the burn ban and not burned.

Please click the following link for full information. Click here / burn ban information

Request for Proposals for Ambulance Services

Site Editor — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:53:29 +0000

Malheur County, located in Eastern Oregon, is seeking proposals from qualified providers to operate ambulance services (911 pre-hospital emergency medical care and medical transportation) within the boundaries of the Ontario Ambulance Service Area consisting of 911 advance life support and the Nyssa / Adrian Ambulance Service Area consisting of not less than basic life support. A request for Proposals (RFP) packet, including detailed system expectations, response requirements, and evaluation criteria, is available upon request. Proposals are due September 7, 2026.

Click Here for a Copy of This Document.

Contact for RFP Packet:

Keith Ishida
Malheur County Ambulance Service District
316 NE Goodfellow Street
Ontario, OR 97914
Phone: (541) 473-5598
Email: Keith.Ishida@malheurco.org