More prescribed burns planned west of Sunriver, Sisters

Firefighters are planning prescribed burns Monday about 1.5 miles west of Sunriver and 2 miles west of Sisters on the Deschutes National Forest.

Initions are planned around 10 a.m. on Maintenance 5H and 5J for a total of 181 acres west of Sunriver near the junction of Forest Road 41 and Forest Road 4140 and 4180.

These units were also used in training exercises for the Central Oregon Fire Instructor’s Association last week to train local and volunteer fire agencies to better respond to a wildland fire incident. During those training days, just a few acres were burned on each unit, so ignitions on Monday will ensure that they are fully treated, officials said.

Meanwhile, west of Sisters, firefighters are planning to burn the 85-acre SAFR unit 246 west of the Tollgate subdivision.

Also on Monday and Tuesday, firefighters are scheduled to burn Roy units 46, 95 and 146 for a total of 250 acres about 7 1/2 miles northwest of Crescent.

In addition to the Roy units on the Crescent Ranger District, if conditions remain favorable on Tuesday, firefighters plan to continue burning 1.5 miles west of Sunriver in Maintenance 5B, near the junction of Forest Roads 40 and 41 for 190 acres.

The Sisters Ranger District will also likely be burning in the SAFR units west of Tollgate and information will be updated on social media when the units have been identified.

While no closures are expected with any of these burns, smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby forest roads and drivers may experience smoke impacts. 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 on Twitter @CentralORFire.