Prescribed burns planned for southern Bend, near Sisters

U.S. Forest Service fuels specialists plan to burn up to 500 acres near the southern edge of Bend on Sunday , and potentially Monday . Two other burns are planned near Sisters on Sunday.

The southern Bend area slated for ignitions is located off of China Hat Road near the Lost Tracks Golf Course, adjacent to the Woodside Ranch, Sundance and Lost Tracks subdivisions. No road or trail closures are expected. Smoke impacts could be seen along China Hat Road.

On Sunday , fuels specialists also have two prescribed burns near Sisters planned. They will be burning 110 acres approximately five miles west of the town of Sisters, adjacent to the south side of Highway 242. Additionally, they plan to ignite 63 acres approximately three miles west of Sisters, adjacent to the Tollgate community and less than a mile north of the Crossroads community. No road or trail closures are expected for either burn.

If favorable weather continues, Sisters fuels specialists plan to ignite two prescribed burns on Monday . They will light 150 acres located two miles southwest of Sisters, adjacent to the Edgington Road community and two miles south of the Crossroads and Tollgate communities. If conditions allow, they will also burn 200 acres one mile southwest of the Edgington Road community, approximately three miles southwest of the Crossroads and Tollgate communities, as well as, the town of Sisters. No road or trail closures are expected for either burn.

If Monday ‘s conditions prove favorable, Crescent fuels specialists are planning a prescribed burn 8 miles west of Crescent near Hamner Butte. No road or trail closures are expected. Smoke will be visible from the Cascade Lakes Highway and the Crescent Cutoff Road.

The use of prescribed fire in Central Oregon’s fire adapted ecosystems restores forests to healthier conditions, reduces and removes dense vegetation that contributes to high intensity wildfires and protects communities.

Prescribed burning will be completed by fire staff from the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, Oregon Department of Forestry, Sunriver Fire, as well as, students from the Nature Conservancy’s Central Oregon Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) program, an interagency collaboration to expand education surrounding prescribed fire.

Communities near the burns can expect to see residual smoke impacts following the ignitions of these units. Fire crews will continue to patrol and monitor burns for several days after the initial ignitions.

For all prescribed burns, fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempt 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 interactive Deschutes National Forest website at https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/ and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire.