Prescribed burn underway near Phil’s Trail west of Bend

(Update: Adding livestream video from Tuesday burn west of Bend)

The Deschutes National Forest conducted three prescribed burns Monday and had , another underway Tuesday west of Bend, in the Phil’s Trail system.

Ignitions occurred Monday on the 286-acre South Bend unit, as well as the 149-acre SAFR 136 unit about 5 miles southwest of Sisters near Forest Road 1505.

The burn just south of Bend sent up tall, billowing smoke that prompted concern among many residents unaware of the plans.

In addition, firefighters on the Crescent Ranger District were igniting Bee 13 & 14 south of Crescent and about 3 miles northeast of the Highways 97/58 junction. No closures are expected with any of these burns, although smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby forest roads.

On Tuesday, firefighters were igniting a prescribed burn west of Bend in West Bend COD units 1 & 8 for a total of 234 acres.

Those units are within the Phil’s Trailhead system and include a portion of Marvin’s Garden, which are closed during ignitions and likely for a few days while firefighters cool hot spots along the trails.

Also on Tuesday, firefighters on the Sisters Ranger District are continuing burning in SAFR, a collection of units about 2.5 miles southwest of Sisters off of Forest Road 1505, with units 135 for 114 acres.

As with other burns in the SAFR unit area, burning in this area is meant to reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface and reintroduce low intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem.

Crews on Sunday ignited burns on Maintenance 5D, about 3 miles west of Sunriver near the junction of Forest Road 40 and 41 for 269 acres and units Bee 4 and 5 south of Crescent and about 3 miles northeast of the Highway 97/58 junction for a total of 144 acres.

By late Sunday afternoon, officials said the ignitions near Sunriver were complete and firefighters would work to hold and improve the perimeter and stay on the unit through the evening.

No road closures are expected with either burn, although smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby forest roads.

The Forest Service said Monday morning that another burn near Sunriver originally scheduled for Monday was postponed, and instead another was taking place south of Bend.

Ignitions are planned on South Bend 137, a 286-acre unit south of Bend, 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.

Ignitions also are planned for SAFR unit 136 two miles southwest of Sisters on Monday. While there are no closures associated with this unit, there will likely be a short duration trail closure along portions of the Metolius-Windigo trail north of Cow Camp.

All of these prescribed burns are intended to reintroduce low -ntensity fire back into a fire-adapted ecosystem.

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

For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.

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 public’s health is important to the Forest Service, the agency said. 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: http://www.centraloregonfire.org or text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive text alerts.

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.