Prescribed Fire Update

If conditions remain favorable, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest are planning ignitions south of Bend and east of Sunriver on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, May 3, firefighters are planning ignitions on the Bon units 6-8 totaling 140 acres located between Highway 97 and Abbot Pit. Bon units 13-14 are located between Abbot Pit and the Powerline Road south of Forest Road 9720 and are also scheduled for ignition on Thursday. On Friday, firefighters are planning to ignite Bon 15 and Lavacast 9 for a total of 69 acres. These units are located in the same area as Bon units 13 and 14.

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.

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.