Ochoco National Forest begins winter pile burning on about 5,100 acres

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — With cooler and wetter weather arriving this week on the Ochoco National Forest, firefighters began pile burning Monday and will continue burning throughout the week.

Firefighters started in the McKay area near Forest Road 4260 and continue burning piles on various units as conditions allow.

There are approximately 5,100 acres of piles slated to be burned across the forest this winter, officials said. The piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with previous vegetation management activities intended to remove hazardous fuels that can burn during summer wildfires.

No road or trail closures are anticipated with this pile burning and smoke impacts are expected to be minimal, officials said.

Once ignited, piles are monitored by firefighters until declared out. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. While smoke may linger in the area, removing these large accumulations of woody debris during the winter months minimizes fire danger.

When smoke is present, motorists should reduce speed and turn on headlights. All efforts will be made to limit smoke impacts to area neighborhoods and communities. The possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas due to cool nighttime temperatures. Residents in areas near burn operations are encouraged to close windows at night, to avoid possible smoke impacts.

For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit the interactive website at http://www.centraloregonfire.org/ or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/ochoco and follow on Twitter @CentralORFire.