Ochoco Natl. Forest plans more prescribed burns
Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest accomplished the Lunch 1 prescribed burn on Tuesday, decreasing the fuel loading on 400 acres of public lands up the Duncan Creek drainage while lessening the severity of potential wildfire severity in the future, helping protect the private land in the area and improving the forage availability for wildlife.
Fire managers are planning for continued prescribed burn operations this week in two more units. If conditions remain favorable, on Thursday firefighters will ignite the Canyon 20 unit. The 371-acre unit is located a half a mile west of Walton Lake just off of the 22 road.
On Friday, the Claypool Springs prescribed burn unit is planned, a 116-acre unit, two miles northeast of Spears Meadow off the Forest Service road 2610, 150 spur.
All of these prescribed burns will be reintroducing fire back into a fire adapted ecosystem, which in turn will improve wildlife habitat, increase forage availability and reduce hazardous fuel loadings to help lessen wildfire severity in the future.
Smoke impacts are being monitored and fire management fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan.
With the cold nighttime temperatures, smoke is expected to settle overnight and lift as the sun rises and temperatures warm. We ask the public to remember, a bit of prescribed burn smoke now will lessen the possibility of much larger impacts of future smoke from large wildfires in the summer.
For current Central Oregon prescribed fire information, visit www.centraloregonfire.org or follow on Twitter at CentralORfire .
