Pile burning to continue west of Bend this week

Beginning as early as Tuesday and continuing through the week, fuels specialists plan to burn 167 acres of piles west of Bend, Deschutes National Forest officials said.

The units to be burned are about five miles west of Dillion Falls and are concentrations of leftover woody debris associated with previous vegetation management activities intended to remove hazardous fuels that can burn during summer wildfires.

No road or trail closures are anticipated with this burning, officials said.

Open flames may be present for up to a day and smoke and steam could remain in the area for over a week.

The public is reminded to not attempt to extinguish these piles if they see smoke or flame. Fuels specialists will be monitoring these sites until all piles are declared out.

The units west of Bend can be viewed via the West Bend Interactive map here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/west-bend/

However, if smoke drifts on to roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care.

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 follow C. Oregon Fire Management on Twitter @CentralORFire.