BLM plans 253 acres of slash-pile burning near Tumalo

Beginning Thursday , fuels specialists with the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management are planning to ignite 253 acres of slash piles near Tumalo.

The area slated for ignition is three miles southwest of Tumalo and has previous been thinned by contractors with the remaining woody debris material put into piles to be burned. The goal of this project is to reduce hazardous fuels in a wildland urban interface. Burning will likely take 2-4 days to complete.

No road closures or delays are expected; however, the smoke from this project may be visible to vehicles driving through the area along Tumalo Reservoir Road. If smoke drifts onto roadways, drivers are encouraged to turn on their lights and proceed slowly through the area.

Prescribed burning is highly dependent on favorable temperature, moisture and wind conditions. This is the first of five units slated for burning in the area. Fuels specialists have plans to burn up to two other units in the same area this fall or winter. Each of these burns will be started when the conditions are right to meet the objectives of the burn and while minimizing smoke impacts to nearby communities. All burn areas will be patrolled during and following ignitions.

All prescribed burns are completed in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan. For more information about prescribed burning, please contact the Prineville BLM at (541) 416-6700 .