The Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to begin ignitions on a 1,243-acre fuels reduction project Thursday, February 16. The project is located south of Highway 20 off Frederick Butte Road, roughly 11 miles southeast of Brothers, OR. If conditions are favorable, ignitions will continue into the weekend.
Firefighters will be igniting concentrations of vegetative fuel such as trees, branches and other woody debris on the ground. The trees and woody debris were previously cut in preparation for burning to improve Sage-grouse habitat and reduce wildfire risk.
If firefighters complete the restoration project, and weather conditions remain favorable, crews may begin ignitions on another 3,823-acre project later this week as well. The second project is also located off Frederick Butte Road, roughly 11 miles southeast of Brothers.
Smoke may be visible from Highway 20, Brothers, Hampton and surrounding areas. All efforts will be made to limit smoke impacts to nearby communities. Heat sources within the project area such as logs may smolder, burn and produce smoke for several days after ignition. Once ignited, firefighters will monitor the project area until all sources of heat are declared out. No road closures or delays are anticipated.
The possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas due to cool night-time temperatures. When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down and turn on headlights. If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, ask your doctor about how to protect yourself from smoke.
For more information about these fuels reduction projects, please contact the Prineville District at (541) 416-6700. For more information on fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, or to learn more about smoke safety, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
