More prescribed burns Tuesday near Sunriver, Sisters, Crescent

Firefighters are planning prescribed burns Tuesday outside of Sisters, Sunriver and Crescent on the Deschutes National Forest.

Ignitions are planned on IFR 26 and 35 for a total of 118 acres approximately 2 miles west of Black Butte Ranch on the Sisters Ranger District.

On the Crescent Ranger District firefighters are planning for 10 a.m. ignitions on Bee 25, an 820-acre unit approximately 2 miles east of the Highway 97/58 junction.

There are no road closures anticipated with either project. Both fires are being implemented to reintroduce low intensity fire into a fire adapted ecosystem.

If conditions are favorable, firefighters will also ignite Bon West Block 1 for 211 acres east of Sunriver. This unit is immediately adjacent to the units that were completed on Monday.

As with the previous Bon West units south of South Century Drive, smoke could impact Highway 97. Oregon Department of Transportation personnel will be in place on Highway 97 and South Century Drive to ensure the safety of the public traveling on the road.

For all three burns, smoke will be visible from state highways and nearby forest roads and drivers may experience smoke impacts. 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 says. 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 .