Fuels Specialist to Ignite Small Prescribed Fire for Fire Investigation Class

Fuels Specialists to Ignite Small Prescribed Fire for Fire Investigation Class

BEND – Fuels Specialists on the Deschutes National Forest will be igniting a 5 acre prescribed burn today, March 19, 3 miles south of Bend. The small plot will be used to help students in a multi-agency Fire Investigation class.

The five-day, multi-agency course will begin on Monday, March 23. 2015 and is designed to train Forest Service and municipal firefighters and law enforcement officers in wildfire investigation techniques.  Students will participate in classroom and field sessions where they will be taught to identify points of origin by detecting burn patterns and protect evidence that could be used in criminal cases for human caused fires.

The prescribed fire area is on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District 3 miles south of Bend, south of Woodside Ranch. If weather conditions remain favorable, ignitions will begin at 10:00 a.m. and are expected to take less than an hour.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke although it is unlikely that roads will be impacted by smoke.  If smoke does drift onto roads, drivers are encouraged to turn on headlights and slow down. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.  No road closures are anticipated with this project.

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. For more information, visit the Ochoco/Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes  and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.


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Prescribed burns continue in Maury Mountains on Ochoco NF

Fire managers will take advantage of favorable weather conditions today to continue jackpot burning in the Maury Mountains southeast of Prineville.

Jackpot burning is part of a hazardous fuels reduction program that addresses high concentrations of naturally-occurring or thinning-related downed woody debris.

The West Maury Jackpot Burning project will cover about 500 acres spread out across multiple units approximately 12 miles southeast of Post, Ore.

Crews completed around 170 acres of jackpot burning in the Maury Mountains at the end of February before snow halted the project.

Plans also call for jackpot burning on the Crooked River National Grassland this spring.

The Grassland Jackpot Burning project will cover about 500 acres on units between 5 and 15 miles southwest and southeast of Madras, Ore.

The goals for both projects include improvement of wildlife habitat and range conditions, and the reduction of hazardous fuels.

Light smoke will be visible during ignition periods but no impacts to major highways are expected.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.