Prescribed burn planned Thursday near Tollgate

Given favorable weather conditions, Deschutes National Forest fuel specialists on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed burn Thursday west of Sisters, by the Tollgate community.

The prescribed fire area is 3 miles west of Sisters, adjacent to the Tollgate community. The 77-acre “SAFR” unit is also nearly a mile north of the community of Crossroads.

The SAFR project was designed to decrease hazardous fuels accumulations within the Wildland Urban Interface adjacent to the city of Sisters and surrounding communities to reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and forest roads.

For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted. No road closures are anticipated with these projects. Residences and businesses in the area are advised to keep their windows and doors closed during the night hours to avoid any potential smoke impacts.

Fuels specialists will 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.

Keep up with prescribed burns in Central Oregon by visiting this live map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

For more information, visit the Deschutes website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes