Pile burning planned west of La Pine, Bend

Pile burning continues west of La Pine Thursday between Burgess Road and the Deschutes River. And with continued cooler weather and snow accumulations, large pile burning will resume in West Bend beginning Monday, the Deschutes National Forest said.

In both areas, smoke from the piles will be visible from the surrounding communities. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition, officials 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 follow us on twitter @CentralORFire.