Prescribed burn near Walton Lake moved up to Tuesday

Due to rain predicted Thursday and a cool down expected by next week, the Ochoco National Forest’s Lookout Mountain Ranger District said Monday it has decided to take advantage of current warm weather to start the 5,000-acre Canyon 66 prescribed burn near Walton Lake on Tuesday, a day earlier than planned.

Pending favorable weather conditions, and appropriate fuel consumption measured by a test burn Tuesday morning, firefighters plan to begin ignitions within the Canyon 66 unit around 10:30 a.m. and continue until around 5 p.m. It will cover more than 5,000 acres between the Ochoco Ranger Station and Walton Lake.

Firefighters will be stationed in and around the burn unit to assist visitors and prevent people from entering the operational area. Forest Service Road 22 will remain open, but other roads within the unit will be temporarily closed to entry during active ignitions.

Smoke will be present and visible in the immediate area during ignitions and is expected to settle at lower elevations at night. Residents in the immediate area and as far west as Ochoco Reservoir are expected to experience the most smoky conditions at night.

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, ” the agency said. ” 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.

For more information on the burn, see the previous news release (in ‘Related Stories’.)

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs smoke from prescribed fires (including pile burning), and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.