Sisters and Crescent Districts Plan Prescribed Burns Tomorrow

Central Oregon – If conditions remain favorable, fire managers on the Sisters and Crescent Ranger District are planning to ignite prescribed burn on Tuesday, May 1 with ignitions beginning as early as 10:00 a.m.

The burn on the Sisters District is scheduled for tomorrow, approximately 2 ½ miles west of Sisters, and ½ mile west of the Tollgate subdivision. The burn unit (SAFR NE 231) is 95 acres and should be completed in one day. Burning in this unit is designed to decrease hazardous fuels accumulations within the Wildland Urban Interface near to the city of Sisters and surrounding communities to reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire as well as improving wildlife habitat.

On the Crescent District, firefighters are planning several prescribed burns this week with two units tomorrow, totaling 143 acres. The RP 4070, 4075 and Nina 45 units are located approximately 13 miles southwest of Crescent along Forest Road 9751, south of Highway 58 and west of Highway 97. Burning is likely to continue through the week if conditions remain favorable in Nina units 39, 38, 44, 43 and 42 in the same location. These units fall within the Greater La Pine Basin Cohesive Strategy Project, a partner driven forest restoration project that aims to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire across public and private forested lands. The project was funded by the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Initiative, which is a partnership between two USDA agencies – Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service – that reduces wildfire risk on both public and private forests in at-risk communities across the nation.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. 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 these projects. The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas. The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs smoke from 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/

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Prescribed fires planned for tomorrow near Sisters and south of Crescent

Central Oregon– Fuels specialists with the Sisters Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest plan to do a prescribed burn across a 180-acre project area south of Sisters adjacent to Forest Road 16 (also known as Three Creek Lake Road) within a project area known as “SAFR” or the “Sisters Area Fuels Reduction” project.

The goal of the SAFR project is to reduce the amount of forest fuels to minimize the potential for future high intensity wildfires and increase defensible space, which will improve public safety during wildfires.

On the Crescent Ranger District, firefighters will continue burning in Nina units 2 and 8, and RP 3090 approximately 10 miles south of Crescent.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. Signs will be posted on nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.  No major road closures are anticipated with these projects.

The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas.

The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

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

Keep up with prescribed fire in Central Oregon by visiting this live map and following us on Twitter @CentralORFire: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

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Prescribed burn planned for McKay area Thursday in Ochocos

Central Oregon – With the return of warmer weather and drying conditions in the Ochoco National Forest, fire managers hope to complete another fuels treatment in the McKay area just east of Prineville starting Thursday, if conditions allow.

Working in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, objectives for the burn include improving habitat and forage for big game and livestock, while introducing fire back into a fire-adapted Ponderosa pine and fir ecosystem.

Plans call for igniting grasses and other ground fuels in an underburn on about 550 acres, located 14 miles northeast of Prineville near the junction of Forest Service Roads 27 and 2705. Ignitions would begin late Thursday morning and may continue into Friday.

This burn is part of a larger 750-acre unit the Forest has been working on for several years. To see the unit boundaries for this project, as well as other planned treatments, visit our interactive map for Central Oregon prescribed burns at: https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

Smoke is expected to be most visible during active ignitions, but will linger above the burn unit and within adjacent forested areas for several days. Smoke will be most visible from Forest Roads 27, 2705 and 33, and on adjacent Forest system roads. 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.

The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

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

Prescribed Burns Planned for Today and Tomorrow

Central Oregon – Today, firefighters will be igniting a prescribed burn on unit COD #7, which is directly across Cascade Lakes Highway from the Rimrock Trailhead burn. Fire managers will be closing sections of the new paved path around the under crossing for public safety during operations. Also today, firefighters will be igniting a prescribed burn on the Sisters Ranger District, Met WUI 16 & 30, for a total of 229 acres. This unit is located approximately 1 ½ miles south of Camp Sherman Store and 4 miles north of Black Butte Ranch. No road closures are associated with this burn.

Tomorrow firefighters have scheduled a prescribed burn for Shevlin Park units 5 and 6A approximately 1/2 north of Skyliners Road on Bend Park and Recreation District property.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. 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 these projects. The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas. The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs smoke from 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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Prescribed Burn Planned for Sunday at Rimrock Trailhead

Prescribed Burn at Rimrock Trailhead Slated for Sunday

Additional prescribed burns planned west of Bend next week

Central Oregon – If conditions remain favorable, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite a prescribed burn off at the Rimrock Trailhead one mile west of Bend on Sunday, April 22.

Ignitions are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Rimrock Rx, a 150 acre unit south of Cascade Lakes Highway in the area formerly known as “Good Dog” off-leash dog area. This will close the off-leash area for Sunday, April 22 while burning operations are taking place although no road closures are anticipated with this burn. Reintroducing fire into this area, adjacent to Bend, will reduce hazardous fuels accumulations within the Wildland Urban Interface near Bend and reintroduce fire into a ponderosa pine ecosystem.

Additional burns are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday west of Bend if conditions remain favorable. On Monday, firefighters are planning for ignitions on Shevlin Block 9, a 77 acre unit on the north side of Skyliners Road and on Tuesday, and West Bend COD #7, a 109 acre unit immediately north of the Rimrock Trailhead area on the north side of Cascade Lakes Highway. As always, precise wind and weather conditions must be met in order to execute these burns and if conditions change, these burns will be postponed.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. 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. The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas. The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs smoke from 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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Juniper burning planned tomorrow in eastern Ochocos

Central Oregon – Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to burn downed juniper on approximately 135 acres near Black Canyon Wilderness on the Paulina Ranger District tomorrow, Thursday, April 5, if weather and conditions allow. Rain is predicted in the general area and if enough rain arrives the burn will be postponed.

The burning will take place in the Upper Beaver project area, about 15 miles northeast of Paulina, Ore. in the vicinity of Rager Ranger Station near Bronco Reservoir.

This type of prescribed fire, known as “jackpot burning,” addresses high concentrations of naturally-occurring or thinning-related downed woody debris. Burning these units will improve critical winter range for big game and provide better connectivity of sage grouse habitat while reducing hazardous fuel loading to lower the risk of large-scale wildfire across the landscape.

The project is partially funded by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Burning is scheduled to begin about 11 a.m. and work should be completed by the end of the day. Smoke will be visible today and tomorrow from Forest Road 58 and Highway 380 near Paulina, but no delays or impacts to travel are expected; however, if smoke drifts onto roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care. Jackpots may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. Once ignited, units are monitored by firefighters until they are declared out.

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

South Bend Prescribed Burn Near China Hat Road Scheduled for Tomorrow

Central Oregon – If conditions remain favorable, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite a prescribed burn off of China Hat Road on Tuesday, April 3.

Ignitions are scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on South Bend 141, a 150 acre unit south of Bend on the north and east side of China Hat Road from the private land property boundary to the powerline road.  Burning in this unit is designed to reintroduce fire into a ponderosa pine ecosystem and reduce hazardous fuels accumulations within the Wildland Urban Interface near Bend.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. 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. The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas. The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs smoke from 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.  For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.