Pile burning planned Friday south of Bend

Several hundred acres of slash piles are planned to be burned south of Bend Friday, Deschutes National Forest officials said.

Pile-burning units slated for ignition on Friday are just south of Deschutes River Woods, east of the High Desert Museum and south of Bend.

Officials said fire could be visible from Highway 97 while piles are burning and smoke will be present for several days in the burn areas.

Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. While smoke may linger in the area, there is a real benefit to burning this type of vegetation, the agency said.

The piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with previous vegetation management activities intended to remove hazardous fuels that can burn during summer wildfires.

No closures are anticipated with these operations. However, if smoke drifts on to roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care. Once ignited, units are monitored by firefighters until they are declared out.

Fuels specialists follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and get updates on Twitter @CentralORFire.