Pile burning planned this week near Sunriver

Fuel specialists with the Deschutes National Forest will be conducting pile burning Thursday and Friday near Sunriver.

The burning will occur just west of Highway 97 along Cottonwood Drive on the north side of the road. The reduction of fuels in the area is designed to reduce the threat of wildfire to the community of Sunriver and the area of Deschutes River Woods.

No impacts are anticipated for visibility along Highway 97; however, signs will be in place along Cottonwood Drive in anticipation of some smoke on the road.

If smoke drifts on to roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care. No closures are anticipated with the operations.

Piles may smolder, burn and produce smoke for several days after ignition.

While smoke may linger in the area, officials say there is a real benefit to burning this type of vegetation.

The piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with previous vegetation management activities intended to remove hazardous fuels that can burn during summer wildfires.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.