More burns planned near Sisters, Sunriver, Crescent

If conditions remain favorable, firefighters will continue prescribed burning several units outside of Sisters, Sunriver and Crescent on Thursday and Friday.

Ignitions are planned for 10 a.m. Thursday on the 68-acre SAFR 179 unit approximately 7 miles south of Sisters near Forest Road 1620.

Additionally, firefighters on the Crescent Ranger District will continue igniting Bee 1 & 2 south of Crescent and approximately 3 miles northeast of the Highway 97/58 junction on Thursday.

No closures are expected with any of these burns, although smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby forest roads.

Also on Thursday and Friday, Deschutes National Forest firefighters will be working to support the Central Oregon Fire Instructor’s Association in a training for local and volunteer fire agencies to help and train individuals and agencies better respond to a wildland fire incident.

Forest Service personnel will ignite prescribed burns in Maintenance 5J for 92 acres on Thursday and Maintenance 5H for 89 acres on Friday. Both units have been previously burned and Forest Service personnel and equipment will be on hand to assist in providing quality fire service training for Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson county officials.

These units are approximately 1.5 miles west of Sunriver near the junction of Forest Road 41 and Forest Road 4140 and 4180.

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 the latest activity on Twitter @CentralORFire.