‘Jackpot’ burning of downed juniper begins on Crooked River Grassland

About 900 acres in next few weeks near Willow Creek, Haystack Reservoir

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Beginning Wednesday, firefighters will be burning downed juniper near Willow Creek and around Haystack Reservoir on the Crooked River National Grassland.

Central Oregon residents may see light smoke periodically south of Madras as fire managers continue juniper jackpot burning near Highway 26 as weather conditions allow, for a total of 900 acres in the next few weeks. Light smoke will be visible from the highway but is not expected to impact motorists, Forest Service officials said Wednesday.

Firefighters will be burning individual piles of downed juniper trees left over from a large thinning project in the Willow Creek watershed. The project removed thousands of junipers to restore range conditions and water availability and has been open to personal firewood collection for the last 5 seasons.

Burning the remaining piles will improve critical winter range for big game and provide better summer grazing conditions while reducing hazardous fuel loading to lower the risk of large-scale wildfire across the landscape.

Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and forest roads. 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. 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 smoke from prescribed fires (including pile burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

Keep up with prescribed burns in Central Oregon by visiting: http://www.centraloregonfire.org.