Pile burning set to start Tuesday near S. Hwy. 97

Beginning Tuesday, the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District will continue pile burning through the week, as weather allows.

On Tuesday, pile burning will occur on 71 acres of land along South Highway 97 between the High Desert Museum turn-off and Lava Butte and on 25 acres off of South Highway 97 and Vandevert Road near Sunriver.

Both projects will visible to the public and signs will be on Highway 97 to notify the traveling public. The objective of these projects is to remove commercial harvest and thinning slash near private lands.

In addition, on Wednesday, about 2,000 acres of pile burning will occur in the Millican area, east of Bend, on a project called Opine. Smoke will be visible along Highway 20 and portions of east Bend.

The objective of the Opine project is to remove commercial harvest and thinning slash from Forest Service lands to create defensible space around the Pine Mountain Observatory, campgrounds and recreation sites and commercial communications sites located on Pine Mountain.

Ignitions on all three projects will occur around 9 a.m. and will be staffed with patrols. Sunriver Fire will assist on the burning near Sunriver.