Small prescribed burn planned Monday SW of Sunriver for firefighter training

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Fuel specialists with the Deschutes National Forest will be conducting a small prescribed burn southwest of Sunriver Monday, both for the ecosystem and for firefighter training.

With the support of Oregon Department of Forestry Smoke Management and the Oregon Department of Transportation, fire crews will underburn about 5-10 acres southwest of Sunriver.

The project is located west of the Deschutes River and north of Forest Service Road 40, with ignitions planned to begin at 10 a.m.

This burn is being done for ecosystem objectives and for firefighter training, officials said. It is anticipated to be completed in one day.

Smoke and residual burning may be visible up to two weeks after ignitions are complete, but no community or smoke impacts are expected.

In addition to meeting restoration objectives by introducing fire into a Ponderosa pine ecosystem, the burn units are within the wildland-urban interface, the Forest Service said.

Prescribed burning is an important preventative step in reducing potential impacts of wildfire to communities and critical transportation corridors. The burn units have been previously commercial harvested, thinned, mowed and/or masticated.

The public can find an interactive map of prescribed burns, as well as air quality information at this link: https://www.centraloregonfire.org/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-maps-2/  If the public wants to sign up for text alerts about prescribed fires and wildfires they should text COFIRE to 888-777.

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