Prescribed burn conducted in new development west of Bend

The Deschutes National Forest conducted a prescribed burn Tuesday west of Bend on land owned and being developed by The Tree Farm LLC, putting up a tall smoke plume that was highly visible throughout the region.

It was the first burn under a recent agreement between the Deschutes National Forest, The Tree Farm LLC and the Bend Parks and Recreation District to reduce potential wildfire fuels and improve forest health on both public and private lands west of Bend.

“What this is going to do is protect around the community to reduce the impact of a wildfire,” said Forest Service spokeswoman Jean Nelson-Dean.

Forest Service personnel conducted the burn on the western edge of Bend between Skyliners Road and Shevlin Park. In total, 82 acres were planned for burning, with ignitions that began around 9:30 a.m. and were finished by about 2 p.m.

The prescribed burn was done only on lands within the new Tree Farm neighborhood, and no Forest Service or Shevlin Park lands were included inTuesday’s burn, officials said.

“What’s great is these private land owners they are working with our forest service personnel who know how to do this on private lands and are protecting this community,” Nelson-Dean said.

As expected, a tall smoke plume was highly visible across the Bend area. Officials said burning is only be done if weather conditions are suitable to move smoke up and out of the area.

Romy Mortensen, project manager for The Tree Farm LLC., said six months of planning went into this burn, and they are hoping to lead other private land owners to think about fire management in Central Oregon.

“I hope we can be an example and a model for other private land owners,” Mortensen said. “Its been a really great process and experience for us, and we really believe this is the right way to manage the forest.”

Fuel specialists conducting the burn follow policies outlined in the Oregon department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires to minimize impacts on visibility and public health.

Homes and businesses near the burn “may want to keep their windows and doors closed during the burn, and also at night, when cool air may bring smoke back down into nearby areas,” the Forest Service said.

The prescribed burning is being implemented under a participating agreement between the USFS, Bend Parks and Recreation District and The Tree Farm LLC, developers of the new Tree Farm neighborhood, which was announcedlast Thursday.

Forest Service personnel prescribed burning on non-federal lands is completed under the Wyden Amendment authority, Section 323(a) of the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999.

For an interactive map of prescribed burns in the Central Oregon, visitwww.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/cofms-rxfire/

The agreement announced last week covers fuels reduction work on 700 acres of land within Shevlin Park, the Tree Farm neighborhood and adjacent national forest lands.

The prescribed burning will reduce the impacts of a large fire on the city of Bend and improve forest health and wildlife habitat, officials said. It is expected that burning on the 700 acres will take two to three years to complete, with burns occurring primarily in the spring and late fall.

Prescribed burning these areas, in addition to the ongoing burning between Phil’s Trailhead and the Cascade Lakes highway, will complete a relatively continuous series of prescribed fire treatment areas that connect the Two Bulls fire area to the north and the Deschutes River to the south.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for 2-9 p.m. Wednesday, predicting gusty winds and low humidity across much of the region as temperatures warm up.

Bend-area fire crews were busy Tuesday tackling several small fires in rural areas, on the last day of the open debris-burning season established by the Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association.

In Madras, Jefferson County Fire District crews responded to an escaped brush pile fire Tuesday morning, threatening several nearby homes on South Adams Drive.

Fire Chief Brian Huff said the fire was properly attended, but the homeowner’s water hose broke and the fire escaped before he could get a new one. He urged everyone to be careful with fire and know the regulations in your area.