Storms delay Ochoco NF 1,200-acre burn by Hwy. 26

(Update: Rainfall delays prescribed burn by a week)

Storms dropping rain in the area have prompted the Ochoco National Forest to delay by a week its planned 1,200-acre prescribed burn near Spears Meadow along U.S. Highway 26.

“Due to the storm that came through Sunday night and the expected moisture coming through the area tonight, the unit is likely too wet to burn with desirable effects,” Public Affairs Officer Patrick Lair said Tuesday.

As a result, “the forest has decided to postpone this burn until Monday and Tuesday of next week. We will reassess conditions later this week to see if they are favorable for moving forward with implementation and then we’ll let you know.”

The unit is located just west of Highway 26 along Forest Road 3350 and Peterson Creek, about 19 miles east of Prineville. Visit our online interactive prescribed fire map to see the unit location: https://go.usa.gov/xQ9yJ

Objectives for this burn include reducing surface fuels to lessen the potential for catastrophic wildfire and restoring low-intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem. About 400 acres of the 1,200 have been treated in the past five years, but the forest plans to treat the entire unit. The whole unit will be blacklined with hand ignitions and then possibly aerial ignited with the use of a helicopter.

When the burn takes place, smoke is likely to impact nearby Highway 26 and adjacent forest roads during periods of active ignitions. Sign boards and flaggers will be present along the highway as needed.

At night, due to cool night time temperatures, smoke will pool into low-level areas and may come into Prineville. This smoke should be of short duration during the early morning hours until the inversion lifts and clear back out of the valleys. The public is encouraged to close their windows at night and if smoke is on the roadway, turn on headlights and slow down while traveling through smoky areas.

The public’s health is important to the Forest Service. While significant preventive measures are taken, many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke, including severity and duration of smoke exposure and a person’s health. If individuals feel impacted by smoke, they should avoid outdoor physical exertion and remain indoors. If people experience serious health impacts from the smoke, they should contact their doctor. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health

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.

Prescribed burning is part of a Forest Service program to remove hazardous fuels in order to reduce the potential for high-intensity uncharacteristic fire, while restoring low-intensity fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem and improving range and forest health.

Prescribed burning is a proactive approach to fire management, reintroducing fire in a planned, low-intensity manner that benefits the resources, instead of waiting for an unplanned ignition, such as lightning, to start a wildfire that requires an expensive suppression response and can burn with destructive intensity.

The Forest Service appreciates public tolerance of increased smoke and vehicle traffic in support of these restoration goals.