Burning season wraps up on Deschutes Natl. Forest

This week marks the end of the burning season for Deschutes National Forest fuels specialists.

Pile burning will take place near Phil’s Trailhead, the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station, Meadow Day Use area and along various places along Cascade Lakes Highway.

The old three-sided shelter at the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park parking area is also slated for burning. The structure was built in the 1980s with lodgepole pine that is now rotting, making the structure unstable and unsafe for the public. A new, enclosed warming shelter was just unveiled at Swampy Lakes and was built in conjunction with several partners, including the Central Oregon Nordic Club.

No closures are anticipated with these burns, however smoke could be visible from Cascade Lakes Highway. Once ignited, all burns will be monitored by fuels specialists until 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 on Twitter @CentralORFire.