Fall brings return of C.O. prescribed burning

As weather conditions bring more moisture, shorter days, and cooler temperatures, fuels specialists with the Forest Service and BLM will begin fall and winter prescribed burning around the High Desert.

Prescribed fires, in conjunction with thinning and mowing, can reduce hazardous fuels, Central Oregon Fire Management Service officials said Thursday. Prescribed fire also is used by fire managers and ecologists to improve forest and rangeland health and protect the quality of our watersheds and wildlife habitat.

Fall and winter prescribed fire programs may include the burning of previously gathered concentrations of vegetation, known as pile burning, as well as broadcast burning, underburning, and jackpot burning, which are more widespread applications of fire across a designated area.

Prescribed fires are ignited when predicted weather patterns and fuel conditions will minimize smoke impacts to air quality and public health and are completed in compliance with the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, the agency said.

Specifically, the following prescribed burns are potentially planned for this fall and winter, given appropriate conditions:

Sisters Ranger District:

Metolius Basin Research Natural Area – 63 acres, 2.5 miles northeast of the Camp Sherman store on the east side of Forest Road 14
Sisters Area Fuels Reduction (SAFR) NW – up to 340 acres north and south of Highway 242, mile west of Cold Springs campground
Hwy 20 Project — approximately 154 acres east of Pine Street and west of Sage Meadow subdivision in Sisters.
McCache North – up to 207 acres off of Forest Road 1014 near Graham Butte
Pile Burning: various locations throughout the district totaling approximately 750 acres. Areas include: adjacent to Black Butte Ranch; east of Forest Road 16; and between Sisters and Forest Road 4606.

Bend – Fort Rock Ranger District:

Fuzzy 10 – 86 acres one mile north of Kelsey Butte
Fuzzy 22 – 22 is 597 acres and is 14 miles SE of Bend, OR near Company Butte
Fuzzy 33, 34, 36, 207, 208, 213 – 504 acres located a few miles south of Bend, mile north of Klawhop Butte.
Jet 1, 2, 3, and Wet 4, 6 – 284 acres located a few miles west of Bend between Skyliner Road and Cascade Lakes Highway.
Nut 12, & 13 – 158 acres 4 miles west of Fall River Guard Station, 2 miles south of Lookout Mountain.
Dilman 31, 38, 40 & 50 – up to 180 acres near Wickiup Reservoir, next to Hanner Park Community.
Pit Unit 1-5, 7-9 – 289 acres; 4 miles west of Fall River Guard Station.
Pit Units 12, 17, 18 and Myst 12 – 319 acres. Pit 17 and 18 –near Wake Butte Forest Service 40 Rd
Pit 12 and Myst 12 – 2 miles west of Fall River Fish Hatchery on Forest Service 42 Road
Dice 44 and 47 – 211 acres near the junction of Highway 97 and Forest Service Road 9735

Crescent Ranger District:

Bass 6,12 – 181 acres, one mile southwest of Cascade lakes highway 46 & road 44 Jct. and north of Davis Lake.
Baldy 1,2,3,4– 130 acres; along Cascade Lakes (mile markers 60-62 )Hwy and Lava Flow Camp Ground
Pile Burning – various locations throughout the district including: adjacent to the Forest Roads 44 and 6230 junction; south of Forest Road 62 on Ringo Butte; and north of the Forest Roads 61 and 46 junction. West of Crescent from private line boundary to the basic of Odell Butte.

Prineville District BLM:

Clarno Ag Fields- 100 acres, 1 miles north of Clarno.
Bridge Creek Ag Fields – 100 acres, 2 miles northwest of Mitchell. Millican Road – 515 acres, 10 miles southwest of Prineville.
Playa Jackpot Burning Two Post Lake- 2112 acres, 10 miles south of Brothers.
Powerline North Unit- 1640 acres, 10 miles south of Brothers.
Pile Burning – various locations throughout the District including: La Pine Area– 80 acres near La Pine State Park and adjacent to Maston Road south of La Pine; BLM Beach– 5 acres 12 miles southwest of Madras, OR; Maston Phase 2– 457 acres within Maston recreational area 5 miles southwest of Redmond; and PLA Unit 7– 28 acres adjacent to Prineville Lake Acres subdivision 10 miles south of Prineville.

Ochoco National Forest & Crooked River National Grassland:

Upper Beaver – 2000 acres of broadcast juniper and forest underburning on the Paulina Ranger District 15 miles east of Paulina near the Ochoco National Forest boundary.
Willow Pine Blocks 2,3,4, and 5 – 1000 total acres of forest underburn on the Paulina Ranger District 20 miles east of Paulina south of Spur Butte.
Zane Units 2,3,7, and 9 – 600 acres of forest underburn on the Paulina Ranger District 2 miles east of Big Summit Prairie near Black Mtn.
Spears Units 1 and 144 – 1200 acres of forest underburn on the Lookout Mtn. Ranger District near and along Highway 26, 10 miles northeast of Ochoco Reservoir. Potential for 1000 acres to be lit in 1-2 days by helicopter.
Colby Units 2 and 4 – 450 acres of forest underburn on the Lookout Mountain Ranger District 6 miles south of Post, near the west end of the Maury Mtns.
Maury Jackpots – up to 1000 acres total of cut juniper in multiple locations across the Maury Mtns.
Grassland Jackpots – up to 400 acres of cut juniper on the Crooked River National Grasslands east of Highway 26, 6 miles south of Madras.

In all cases, the areas around the burns will be signed to inform motorists of the prescribed fire activities.

People recreating in or traveling through the area should use caution, as smoke may affect visibility and travel. If motorists encounter smoke as a result of the burning, they should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care.

Patrols and mop-up activities will occur during and following ignitions and night patrols will occur on an as-needed basis, depending on conditions.

Smoke from many of these prescribed fires will be highly visible from Central Oregon communities, including but not limited to Bend, Sisters, Redmond, La Pine, and Prineville.

Individual media releases will be sent out prior to each burn providing more information on the type of burn, the location and information on any road or area closures. All prescribed burns will be mopped up and patrolled following ignition.

For more information, visit the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/fire/