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Firefighters plan prescribed burns west of Pine Mountain this week

Central Oregon – Beginning today, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite several burns near the 25 Road Staging area five miles west of Pine Mountain.

Up to 1,819 acres will be burned across four units—25 Road Staging Area Blocks 5A, 5C, 5D, and 4A near the junction of Forest Roads 18 and 25.  Firefighters will be burning approximately 500 acres a day through Friday if conditions remain favorable. The goal of these burns is to reintroduce fire into a fire adapted ecosystem at a landscape level while improving wildlife habitat.

For the safety of the public and firefighters working in the area several temporary closures will be put in place. 25 Staging area and Camp II along with OHV trails: Camp 2 Learners Loop, #2-6, 10, 12, 18, 20-21, 25, 30, 40-43, 505 will be closed until the public can safely reinter them. Additionally, several forest roads around these units will be closed and signs will be posted on roads and near the fire area during operations. Residents living near the Pine Mountain area may have morning smoke impacts and are encouraged to keep windows closed at night to minimize impacts. 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: https://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. 

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

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