Prescribed burn planned Sunday west of Sisters

As a part of a Central Oregon Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) program, fire specialists from The Nature Conservancy, Forest Service, BLM, state of Oregon and a private contractor (Grayback Forestry) will be doing a prescribed burn west of Sisters on Sunday.

The 70-acre prescribed fire, planned 4.5 miles west of Sisters and adjacent to state Highway 242, will help reintroduce fire into the fire-adapted ecosystem and improve wildlife habitat, officials said.

Since 2008, The Nature Conservancy Fire Learning Network (FLN) has worked to deliver a the TREX program, provides training and learning opportunities for wildland fire professionals, while at the same time furthering the long-term objectives of fire-adapted landscapes.

The Central Oregon TREX has brought together these federal, state, non-profit and private wildland fire specialists to learn from each other about ecological objectives, operational techniques and monitoring of fire effects.

The Central Oregon TREX came together through a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the Deschutes National Forest.

The burn on Sunday will be the first time the participants have conducted a burn together.

Depending upon weather conditions on Monday, an additional 350-acre burn in the Metolius area also may be done.

Signs about the fire operations will be posted on Hwy 242. Hwy 242 could be impacted by operations and smoke. Flagging operations will be in place. The Crossroads and Tollgate subdivisions may be impacted by smoke during and following operations.

All prescribed burns 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. Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out. For more information, visit the Deschutes National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire.