Up to 800 acres due for burning west of La Pine

If weather conditions remain favorable, up to 800 acres could be burned beginning as early as Tuesday on the east slope of Lookout Mountain in the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest west of La Pine, the Deschutes National Forest reported.

The experimental forest is about 25 miles southwest of Bend and 11 miles west of La Pine.

Fuels specialists are working in conjunction with Forest Service scientists from the Pacific Northwest Research Station on this project. Its goal is to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire while answering research questions pertinent to fuels management, forest insect and disease issues and gather data about climate change impacts on mixed conifer forests.

Ignitions are planned to begin Tuesday and are expected to be completed by Thursday. Smoke will likely linger in the area for several weeks after ignition.

While there are no road closures expected with this prescribed burn, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and forest roads. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.

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

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