Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan
to conduct the 400-acre Squirrel Ridge prescribed burn near Mill Creek
Wilderness later this week, pending favorable weather conditions.
Last week’s wave of precipitation across Central
Oregon, combined with cooler daytime temperatures, provides a window of
opportunity this week to successfully complete this fuels treatment before
another predicted rain event arrives this weekend.
If predicted rain arrives early, fire managers
may try to complete this treatment early next week as conditions allow.
Objectives for the Squirrel Ridge prescribed burn
include improving upland forage conditions for both livestock and big game
animals, and reducing hazardous fuels in accordance with the Crook County
Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
This prescribed burn will complete a 736-acre
fuels treatment project that fire managers began working on in 2013.
Ignitions are expected to last one or two days,
with smoke being visible in the area for several days following. Light smoke
will be visible from Highway 26 and along Forest Road 33, and other nearby
forest roads, during active burn periods.
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.
The Forest appreciates public tolerance of
temporary smoke conditions in support of these restoration goals.
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