Several more prescribed burns planned in area

Two more prescribed fires are tentatively planned for ignitions beginning Wednesday, with others lined up in coming days, officials said. Up to 200 acres could be burned mile south of Black Butte Ranch and 1 miles southwest of Highway 20 near Sisters. Up to 500 acres could be burned over the next few days 12 miles south of Post, on the west side of the Maury Mountains.

The prescribed fire tentatively planned south of Black Butte Ranch is within the congressionally designated Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration boundary which receives funding towards accelerated forest restoration.

Specific project goals include reducing hazardous fuels and creating defensible space within the wildland urban interface.

The communities of Tollgate and Crossroads as well as Black Butte Ranch could be impacted by smoke as a result this project.

Project objectives of the prescribed fire south of Post include improving wildlife habitat and range conditions as well as hazardous fuels reduction. This project is supported by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Smoke from this operation could be visible from Highways 20 and 380.

As previously announced ignitions near the intersection of Forest Road 18 (China Hat Road) and Forest Road 1820, about eight miles south of Bend are beginning Tuesday.

Specialists also still plan to implement three more, smaller prescribed fires across 110 acres in the Sunriver area this week. These projects are located: 1) adjacent to Forest Road 40 (South Century Drive) on the east side of Sunriver; 2) one-half mile south of the High Desert Museum; and 3) four miles east of Sunriver.

If favorable conditions persist into the weekend and next week, specialists plan to continue prescribed fire operations.

Potential areas that could be burned include three units within the wildland urban interface: 1) West of Bend in the Phil’s Trailhead area off of Skyliners Road 2) mile south of Forest Road 18 (China Hat Road) between Woodside Ranch Subdivision and Horse Butte along the Deschutes National Forest Boundary and 3) mile south of Highway 20 adjacent to Black Butte Ranch in the Glaze Meadow area near Sisters.

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