Fire managers on the Ochoco
National Forest plan to take advantage of predicted moisture in the Ochoco and
Maury Mountains to ignite two prescribed burns tomorrow.
The Forest has completed about
400 acres of prescribed fire in the Wiley Flat area of the Maury Mountains over
the last 10 days, but ceased burning as the temperature rose and conditions
dried. With another pulse of moisture predicted, the Forest hopes to finish its
juniper jackpot burning in the Maurys and complete an underburn along Forest
Road 22 just north of Big Summit Prairie.
The East Maurys jackpot unit is
80 acres located just east of Forest Road 16 in the Wiley Flat area. This burn
would ignite dead and down juniper trees with the goal of removing hazardous
fuels to prevent unwanted high-intensity wildfire, and to improve forage
conditions for livestock and wildlife.
The Canyon unit is 196 acres
located along Forest Road 22 near Big Summit Ranger Station. The goal for this
prescribed burn is to remove hazardous fuels along Forest Road 22, which is a
critical transportation route identified in the Crook County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan.
Both burns are scheduled to
begin at 10:30 am with ignitions continuing for 2 or 3 days as necessary.
Smoke will be very visible from
both Forest Road 16 in the Maury Mountains and Forest Road 22 near Big Summit
Prairie. Signs will be posted along travel corridors, but no other impacts to
drivers are expected.
All prescribed burning is dependent
on weather and planned in accordance with smoke management standards
administered by the State of Oregon.
If you want to receive email
notifications prior to prescribed burns on the Ochoco National Forest and
Crooked River National Grassland, send a request to Assistant Fire Management
Officer Sam Pearcy at spearcy@fs.fed.us
Visit our
website for a virtual map of all current and planned prescribed burn units: http://go.usa.gov/c6CXR
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