BLM pile-burning planned near Eagle Crest
Fuels specialists with the Prineville BLM plan to complete two pile-burning projects this week in the Cline Buttes Recreation Area.
The burns may begin as early as Tuesday, but specialists will be waiting for appropriate weather and need a new round of snow or rain to limit the potential for fire to spread beyond the individual piles.
Crews will burn about 460 acres of piles in the Maston Trail Use Area, located south of Eagle Crest Resort on the west side of the Deschutes River.
The Maston project also includes a small area on the east side of the Deschutes River along Jaguar Road.
In addition to Maston, crews will burn about five acres of hand piles in the Tumalo Canal Trail Use Area, west of Cline Falls Highway and southwest of Eagle Crest Resort.
The goal of pile burning is to reduce hazardous fuels leftover from recent thinning projects, designed to reduce the potential for wildfire to move from public to private lands.
While many of these areas had biomass removed as part of the project, not all material was able to be used. The remaining material has been piled in preparation for burning.
Burning the piles will also protect the large, old-growth juniper in the area from large-scale summer wildfires, officials said.
As long as crews have favorable weather, this project should take less than a week to complete.
Although not expected to linger, smoke may be visible to residents in Eagle Crest, Redmond and to visitors traveling through areas.
No road closures are anticipated with any of these burns; however, smoke may settle in overnight. Where necessary, motorists should reduce speeds and turn on headlights.
All controlled burns are completed in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan. These burns meet the recommendations put forth in the Redmond Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which describes opportunities to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in Redmond and Eagle Crest areas.
For more information about prescribed burning, please contact the Prineville BLM at (541) 416-6700.
