Prescribed burn Wednesday near Crescent
Fire managers on the Deschutes National Forest plan to ignite a prescribed understory burn near Crescent Wednesday. Officials said the burn will help restore and maintain the fire-adapted Ponderosa pine forest ecosystem.
The units being burned are 23 acres in the Marsh project area. They are located approximately 12 miles west of Crescent and a half-mile east of Camp Makuala , on the south shore of Crescent Lake. Smoke may be visible from highways 97 and 58.
Burning in the Marsh units may continue into Thursday, if needed, officials said. Firefighters will continue to patrol the burn through the following week and as needed until the fire is declared out.
Smoke may be visible from state highways and nearby Forest Roads and drivers may experience smoke impacts. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted. 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, officials said. While significant preventative 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 smoke from prescribed fires (including pile burning), and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.
Keep up with prescribed fire in Central Oregon by visiting: http://www.centraloregonfire.org, or text ” COFIRE ” to 888-777 to receive text alerts.
For more information, visit the Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on twitter @ CentralORFire .
