Crescent Ranger District firefighters plan to begin 1,300 acres of pile-burning
CRESCENT, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest's Crescent Ranger District plan to start pile-burning as conditions are favorable, officials said Wednesday.
During this fall and winter, Crescent Ranger District fire specialists hope to accomplish 1,300 acres of pile-burning. Pile-burn units are distributed across the district in areas adjacent to the Highway 97 and 58 junction, Odell Butte, Hamner Butte, Royce Mountain, Ringo Butte, Cryer Butte, Bunny Butte, Odell Pasture and the town of Crescent.
No road or trail closures are anticipated. Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal. Firefighters will monitor the highway for smoke impacts and place warning signs where precautions may be needed. Once ignited, piles are monitored by firefighters until declared out.
Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. While smoke may linger in the area, removing these large accumulations of woody debris during the winter months minimizes fire danger. The piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with vegetation management activities being done to help maintain and restore forest and ecosystem health while reducing hazardous fuels loading.
What does this mean for you?
The possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas due to cool night-time temperatures.
- When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down and turn on headlights
- If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, ask your doctor about how to protect yourself from smoke
- Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and pile-burning in Central Oregon
For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ or fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow on Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
