Temporary Closure in effect for Maury Mountains

A temporary closure is in effect for part of the Maury Mountains on Ochoco National Forest while crews complete a wildfire suppression. The closure is expected to last through the weekend.

View the Closure Order and Map here:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd520020.pdf

Fall Prescribed Burning Begins on the Deschutes National Forest

BEND– Cooler temperatures and shorter days have created an opportunity for fuels specialists on the Deschutes National Forest to begin prescribed burning season. If conditions remain favorable, fuels specialists will begin burning as early as next week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, fuels specialists on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District are planning three prescribed burns south of Bend. A 175 acre unit called “Pit 18” is on the west side of Wake Butte is slated for ignitions, while “Pit 12” and “Myst 12” at 75 acres and 58 acres respectively are between Fall River Campgrounds and Fall River Estates along Forest Road 42 are also planned.  For more precise locations, visit the prescribed burn live map below.

In addition to these units, there are numerous prescribed burns planned in the forest. On the Bend Fort-Rock Ranger District approximately 30 burns are planned, including three units in West Bend, five near Sunriver and four near La Pine State Park.  There are six units around Sisters slated for treatment including one near the Tollgate subdivision and one adjacent to Highway 20. Additionally, the Crescent Ranger District has seven prescribed burns planned including three around Davis Lake, three near Walker Mountain and one unit near Hamner Butte.

Any decision to move forward with prescribed burn plans will depend on appropriate weather conditions and fuel moisture, as well as adequate staffing and public notifications. All prescribed burns have been scheduled to take advantage of the cooler and more humid fall season, which moderates fire behavior to allow fuels specialists to remove hazardous fuels, reducing the potential for high-intensity uncharacteristic fire, while restoring low intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem and improving range and forest health.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

Keep up with prescribed burns in Central Oregon by visiting this live map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire. 

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Wildfire suppression in Maury Mountains following prescribed burn

CENTRAL OREGON— Crews in the Maury Mountains are engaged in a fire suppression effort today after a wind event yesterday afternoon pushed a prescribed burn outside planned containment lines.

The Ochoco National Forest had been conducting a prescribed burn to improve the natural resources within a 333-acre unit near Elkhorn campground and Forest Road 16.

Around 4 pm yesterday, an unexpected reversal of wind direction associated with a storm system from the south pushed fire north of the burn unit and carried it onto private ranch lands. Firefighters are working with the private land owners, Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Post-Paulina Rural Rangeland Protection Association to suppress the fire on both public and private land.

The fire size is currently about 1,200 acres with an estimated containment of 20 percent. Roughly 150 acres is on private land.

Following a report of the prescribed burn moving outside planned lines, the Forest Service declared it a wildfire and responded with aggressive suppression tactics. Firefighters worked until 4 am this morning with an effort that included two heavy air tankers, two single engine air tankers, a Type 1 helicopter, and multiple crews, engines, and dozers.

The suppression effort continues today with special emphasis on implementing aggressive tactics on private land to stop the fire spread while continuing to provide safety for our firefighting personnel.

The Forest Service plans to implement an area closure on National Forest System lands to protect hunters and other visitors from entering the suppression area. The closure order and updated fire information will be released as soon as they are available.

Two prescribed burns planned for the Ochocos next week

PRINEVILLE, Ore.— Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to take advantage of recent precipitation to ignite two prescribed burns next week.

Recent moisture coupled with cooler temperatures has created an opportunity to achieve a beneficial, low intensity burn within two planned burn units.

The Rush Springs burn unit is approximately 320 acres, located about 15 miles northeast of Prineville and three miles north of Ochoco Ranger Station near Forest Service Road 2620. This burn is planned to begin Monday morning and last two days.

The East Maury burn unit is approximately 333 acres, located near Elkhorn campground along Forest Service Road 16 in the Maury Mountains, about three miles south of the Post-Paulina Highway. The East Maury burn is planned to start Wednesday and last two days.

To see exact locations of the proposed burn units, visit our “Prescribed Fire in Central Oregon” map online: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ochoco/home/?cid=stelprd3812842

Prescribed burning is part of a Forest Service program to remove hazardous fuels in order to reduce the potential for high-intensity uncharacteristic fire, while restoring low intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem and improving range and forest health.

Prescribed burning is a proactive approach to fire management, reintroducing fire in a planned, low intensity manner that benefits the resources, instead of waiting for an unplanned ignition, such as lightning, to start a wildfire that requires an expensive suppression response and can burn with destructive intensity.

The objectives for both the Rush Springs and East Maury burns include hazardous fuels reduction, improving big game habitat and range conditions for livestock, and reintroducing fire into a fire-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystem.

Light smoke is expected in the vicinity of each burn during periods of active ignitions, but no obstructions to road traffic are anticipated.

For more information on prescribed burning plans, or to be added to a burning notification list, contact Assistant Fire Management Officer Sam Pearcy at (541) 416-6428 or spearcy@fs.fed.us.

Public Use Restrictions and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels set to change on public lands in Central Oregon

Central Ore. – With consistently cooler nights, reduced fire activity around the Pacific Northwest, and a fewer human-caused wildfires recently, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland are lifting campfire and smoking restrictions effective 12:01 a.m. September 23, 2016 (Friday) on federal lands in Central Oregon.

For the reduction in Public Use Restrictions, open fires, including charcoal fires, will be allowed. Private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry remain under a Regulated Closure at this time. Be aware that some federal sites still have campfire restrictions such as Hosmer Lake, and that the seasonal restrictions on BLM-administered lands in the following areas remain in effect:

Until September 30, 2016:

On public lands within 1/4 mile of the river’s edge in the following locations:

• Mainstem John Day River from Tumwater Falls (River Mile 10) upstream to Kimberly (River Mile 185);
• North Fork John Day River, from the confluence with the mainstem at Kimberly (River Mile 0) upstream to the Umatilla National Forest boundary (River Mile 62);
• South Fork John Day River from Smokey Creek (River Mile 6) upstream to Malheur National Forest boundary (River Mile 47).

 Until October 15, 2016:

•  Crooked River - Within ½ mile of the river’s edge along the Lower Crooked River from the Highway 97 Bridge to Lake Billy Chinook.
• Deschutes River - Within ½ mile of the river’s edge from the Highway 20 bridge to Lake Billy Chinook; including all BLM-administered lands north of the Jefferson county line and between the Deschutes River and
• Crooked River. Within ½ mile of Lake Simtustus (between Round Butte Dam and Pelton Dam)
• Within the Lower Deschutes National Wild and Scenic River corridor (Pelton Dam to the Columbia River)
•   Lake Billy Chinook - Those public lands located within ½ mile of Lake Billy Chinook; including BLM Beach dispersed recreation site located approximately ½ mile east of the Three Rivers Recreation Area on the south shore of the Metolius River Arm of the lake.
• White River - Within ½ mile of the river’s edge from its confluence with the Deschutes River upstream to the eastern boundary of the Mount Hood National Forest.

At the same time, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL), which regulates permitted and commercial activities on federal lands, will drop to a Level II (called a Partial Hootowl). Under this level, commercial and personal woodcutting, welding, cable yarding and blasting is allowed, where authorized, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. with a minimum of a one-hour fire watch following activity.

Officials want to remind the public that using explosive target material, such as Tannerite, explosives, and fireworks continue to be prohibited on all federal lands.

Officials carefully consider the current fire situation, fuel moisture and predicted weather before making the decision to lift fire restrictions. Fire Officials want to remind people recreating on public lands to continue to use caution even though fall is approaching and temperatures are cooling down; wildfires are still possible. All campfires, including warming fires used by hunters, should be cold to the touch when not being watched. Every fire that’s prevented protects our communities and helps our firefighters remain available, rested, and safe.

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Prescribed burning planned for the Ochocos this fall

PRINEVILLE, Ore.— Fuel conditions on the Ochoco National Forest are currently very dry, but as temperatures moderate and more precipitation arrives this fall, fire managers will look for opportunities to complete two large prescribed burns and several smaller ones to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health.

Any decision to move forward with prescribed burn plans will depend on appropriate weather conditions and fuel moisture, as well as adequate staffing and public notifications.

The two largest burns planned combine for a total of 5,000 acres and could be implemented simultaneously if conditions allow. The Ochoco National Forest wishes to make public notice of these potential burns now, so that hunters and other visitors have advanced notice of the locations and potential timing of these planned events.

The Upper Beaver burn unit totals about 3,800 acres, located 13 miles north of Paulina in the Tamarack Butte area.

The Spears burn unit totals about 1,200 acres, located 15 miles northeast of Prineville in the White Fir Springs area.

“Fall treatment of 5,000 acres is a significant prescribed fire project for us,” said Stacey Forson, Forest Supervisor for the Ochoco National Forest. “Periodic fire in these ecosystems reduces hazardous fuel build-up and greatly minimizes the risk of extreme fires in the future.”

Visit our “Prescribed Fire in Central Oregon” map online to see exact locations of the proposed burn units: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ochoco/home/?cid=stelprd3812842

All access roads to the burn units have already been signed, and employees will make a sweep of the areas should conditions provide the Forest with the ability to move forward with any of the burns. Another public notice will be sent out once a proposed date is identified.

Plans call for blacklining the Spears and Upper Beaver units with hand ignitions, and then the application of aerial ignition devices delivered from a helicopter to help consume interior fuels. Ignitions are expected to last three days.

Smoke will be visible during ignitions and is expected to linger for several days. Road signs and flaggers will be used along adjacent forest roads. Smoke will be most visible along Highway 26 and Forest Roads 3350 and 500 during the Spears burn, and from Paulina and along Forest Road 58 during the Upper Beaver burn.

Prescribed burning is part of a Forest Service program to remove hazardous fuels in order to reduce the potential for high-intensity uncharacteristic fire, while restoring low intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem and improving range and forest health.

Prescribed burning is a proactive approach to fire management, reintroducing fire in a planned, low intensity manner that benefits the resources, instead of waiting for an unplanned ignition, such as lightning, to start a wildfire that requires an expensive suppression response and can burn with destructive intensity.

The Forest Service appreciates public tolerance of increased smoke and vehicle traffic in support of these restoration goals.

For more information on prescribed burning plans, or to be added to a burning notification list, contact Assistant Fire Management Officer Sam Pearcy at (541) 416-6428 or spearcy@fs.fed.us

Spears burn unit

Upper Beaver burn unit