Prescribed burns start this week on Deschutes, Ochoco forests

Warmer weather has opened up prescribed burning opportunities on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests, beginning as early as Thursday.

If conditions remain favorable, fuels specialists are planning to burn 850 acres in the southernmost area of the Deschutes forest, 22 miles southeast of La Pine near Hole in the Ground beginning Thursday and lasting several days.

That area of the Forest originally was burned by fuels specialists in 2003 to reduce natural fuels build-up. Officials said this burn across the same area over a decade later will help maintain the characteristics of reduced fuel loading, which will allow fires to occur more frequently with less intensity and improve the safety of the public and firefighters.

Smoke could be visible from Highway 31. While no closures are anticipated with these operations, if smoke drifts on to roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care, officials said. Once ignited, units are monitored by firefighters until they are declared out.

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.

Keep up with prescribed burns in Central Oregon by visiting this live map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

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

Meanwhile, fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest plan to burn around 800 acres of downed juniper this week, otherwise known as juniper jackpot burning.

The Upper Beaver burn unit is located about 15 miles northeast of Paulina, near the Rager Ranger Station on the Paulina Ranger District.

The prescribed burn is scheduled to start around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, and continue for up to three days, pending favorable weather.

Light smoke will be visible from Forest Service Road 58 during ignitions, and might linger for several days following the burn. Road signs will be posted but no other impacts to travelers are expected.

The burning of this juniper is intended to provide better connectivity of sage grouse habitat, improve critical winter range for big game and simultaneously reduce hazardous fuel loading to lower the risk of large-scale wildfire across the landscape.

The project is made possible with funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

If you want to receive email notifications prior to prescribed burns on the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, send a request to Assistant Fire Management Officer Sam Pearcy at spearcy@fs.fed.us