250-acre prescribed burn planned Monday S. of Bend

If conditions remain favorable, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite a 250-acre prescribed burn off of China Hat Road south of Bend on Monday.

Ignitions are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on South Bend 137, a unit south of Ben, adjacent to Lost Tracks Golf Course and China Hat Road.

The Deschutes National Forest has partnered with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for this burn, which is intended to improve habitat for wildlife, as well as reduce hazardous fuels accumulations within the wildland-urban interface near Bend. Bend Fire will be assisting in the burn, along with the Prineville Interagency Hotshots.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and forest roads, officials said Sunday.

For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby forest roads and state highways that could be impacted. No road closures are anticipated with this project. 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 Forest Service says the public’s health is important to them. 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: http://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 this live map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes