Prescribed Burning Continues Sunday and Monday
Central Oregon – If conditions remain favorable, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite two prescribed burns on Sunday and two burns on Monday.
On Sunday, firefighters are planning prescribed burns on Maintenance 5D approximately 3 miles west of Sunriver near the junction of Forest Road 40 and 41 for 269 acres and units Bee 4 and 5 south of Crescent and approximately 3 miles northeast of the Highway 97/58 junction for a total of 144 acres. No closures are expected with either burn although smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby Forest Roads.
Ignitions are planned for SAFR unit 136 two miles southwest of Sisters on Monday, April 29. While there are no closures associated with this unit, there will likely be a short duration trail closure along portions of the Metolius-Windigo trail north of Cow Camp. Firefighters plan to return to the same area west of Sunriver on Monday and complete Maintenance 5B and 5C if conditions remain favorable. All of these prescribed burns are intended to reintroduce low intensity fire back into a fire-adapted ecosystem.
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. 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: 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.
Keep up with prescribed burns in Central Oregon by visiting: https://www.centraloregonfire.org or text “COFIRE” to
888-777 to receive text alerts.
For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.
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The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.
The BLM manages more land – more than 245 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
