Minimizing Smoke Impacts

Our local land management agencies share your concern about prescribed fire smoke. That’s why we do so much work before and during prescribed burning, like thinning and removing small trees, monitoring the weather, and paying careful attention to where smoke is going during prescribed fires, to minimize smoke impacts to communities. Nonetheless, some smoke in the air is inevitable during and immediately after prescribed fires.

A healthy forest with fire reintroduced improves wildlife habitat by opening up the forest canopy to increase moisture and light on the forest floor for native grasses and wildflowers to flourish.
A healthy forest with fire reintroduced improves wildlife habitat by opening up the forest canopy to increase moisture and light on the forest floor for native grasses and wildflowers to flourish.
Trained forest professionals mark which trees will be retained, and which can be removed to restore more natural forest conditions.
Trained forest professionals mark which trees will be retained, and which can be removed to restore more natural forest conditions.
Trees are carefully selected for removal prior to a prescribed burn to reduce the fire intensity and the subsequent smoke.
Trees are carefully selected for removal prior to a prescribed burn to reduce the fire intensity and the subsequent smoke.
By reducing the number of trees on the landscape through timber removal, we have greater control over the fire behavior and the smoke production from prescribed burns.
By reducing the number of trees on the landscape through timber removal, we have greater control over the fire behavior and the smoke production from prescribed burns.
forest restoration thinning mowing
Harvested trees are used in commercial products ranging from lumber to wood chips to biomass. The value of the harvested trees helps offset forest restoration costs.
The flammable brush is reduced by a mower or masticator to create a more accurate landscape to the historical condition. These forests can support low-intensity fire which ultimately produces less smoke.
The flammable brush is reduced by a mower or masticator to create a more accurate landscape to the historical condition. These forests can support low-intensity fire which ultimately produces less smoke.
prescribed burning central oregon smoke
Using fire to remove piles of small trees that are not commercially viable allows for the land managers to reintroduce fire in conditions that will produce less smoke.
Controlled burning is often the final step in forest restoration: small trees, tree tops, branches, undergrowth—may be piled for later burning when wildfire risk is low.
Controlled burning is often the final step in forest restoration: small trees, tree tops, branches, undergrowth—may be piled for later burning when wildfire risk is low.
successful forest restoration central oregon
Restoration projects begin with a thorough planning process to develop a management strategy, including data collection and analysis.
A restored forest benefits nature and people: reduced risk of large, high-severity wildfires, improved habitat for fire-dependent plants and animals, and safer communities.
A restored forest benefits nature and people: reduced risk of large, high-severity wildfires, improved habitat for fire-dependent plants and animals, and safer communities.
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We share our community’s concerns regarding health, visibility, and livability related to smoke produced by prescribed fires. And we know that reintroducing fire through prescribed burning is a critical step in forest restoration. Prescribed burns are conducted by professionals applying cutting-edge tools and decades of scientific and on-the-ground knowledge of the role of fire in our local forests. These professionals continually monitor weather conditions and how prescribed fires behave in an effort to minimize smoke impacts to communities.

It is important to know a great deal of work happens in the forest before a prescribed burn is conducted, including thinning out and removing small trees and brush. Completing these steps reduces the amount of material to burn, which in turn reduces the intensity of the fire and helps ensure that prescribed fire produces less smoke, achieves forest restoration goals, and can be safely controlled.

All controlled burns on federal land, industrial forest land, and private woodlands must comply with the Oregon Smoke Management Plan. This incorporates weather forecasting and a wide range of best practices for prescribed fire use intended to minimize smoke impacts to communities and people, particularly sensitive individuals such as the medically-compromised, elderly, infants and young children, and pregnant women.

Read more about impacts people experience from smoke exposure on the Protect Your Health page.

People with sensitivities to smoke exposure should monitor their health for symptoms during Oregon fire season.

Where is the smoke? Prescribed fire maps and DEQ Air Quality Maps are available.

View Interactive Maps

Prescribed fire smoke impacts typically are at much lower levels than wildfire smoke and only last a few hours, often at night or early morning hours before most of us are up and active. Wildfire smoke, on the other hand, may last for days or weeks at much higher concentrations with much more severe air quality impacts for people.

For Central Oregonians, our choice is not between “lots of fire” or “no fire”. We must choose between an unhealthy forest resulting from a century of nearly no natural, low-intensity fire, or a restored forest that is resilient to fire. Smoke is part of that choice. Limited smoke in the air in the spring and fall is often a sign that important forest restoration work is getting done in a forest near you. We ask for your understanding and support while we do this important work to ensure we have healthy forests and thriving communities now and for the future.