Prescribed burn ignitions continue east of Prineville
Firefighters accomplished ignition of about 2,800 acres of the 5,072-acre Canyon 66 prescribed burn unit Tuesday, about 30 miles east of Prineville on the Ochoco National Forest. With positive results of a test fire Wednesday morning. firefighters moved ahead with more ignitions.
Temporary road closures were in effect Wednesday for public and firefighter safety. Forest Service Road 22, between the junctions with Forest Roads 42 and 2210, will be closed until ignitions are completed and safe travel can be ensured. Forest Roads 2610 and 300 are also closed within the operational area.
An alternative route for access to Walton Lake is Forest Road 4210, east of Round Mountain. Road guards are stationed to assist forest visitors with travel and safety information.
Smoke settled into low areas early Wednesday morning and began to clear as the inversion lifted around 1030 a.m. A spot weather forecast for the burn area indicates good lift and light northerly winds will help disperse smoke throughout the day.
Similar smoke conditions can be expected Thursday morning, with slightly stronger winds helping dispersal midday. Thunderstorms predicted to occur Thursday have the potential to accelerate smoke dispersal from the unit and local communities.
Much of the northern aspects and higher elevations of the unit burned Tuesday and through the night. Ignitions Wednesday will primarily draw fire down south-facing slopes in open stands of pine.
Firefighters on the ground use drip torches to carefully burn a wide buffer along the unit’s boundary. An aerial ignition device placed in a helicopter then ignites the unit’s interior. The majority of firefighters participating in the burn operation are assigned to holding fire within unit boundaries and suppressing “hot spots” that may burn too intensely.
Firefighters are burning within prescribed fuel and weather conditions, ensuring low to moderate severity. Accumulations of heavy fuel are being reduced, creating a patchy mosaic. This is similar to the beneficial effects of natural fire under historic conditions. Improved forage and habitat conditions can be expected to benefit livestock and wildlife in coming years as a result.
