Prescribed burns planned Monday and Tuesday west of Bend, south of Sisters

(Update: Adding Sisters-area burns)

Portions of several trails to be closed; neighborhoods can expect smoke impacts

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- On Monday and Tuesday, fire and fuel specialists with the Deschutes National Forest plan to conduct prescribed fire operations adjacent to Bend's Westside and within the Phil’s Trail and Welcome Station area.

The prescribed burn will be visible to residents of Bend and travelers along Century Drive, officials said.

The area for the prescribed burns is located south of Phil’s Trailhead and includes portions of the Ticket to Ride, COD-Alt, COD-Paint It Black, and COD-Rock Stacker trails, which will be closed during fire operations. Forest Service Road 4604 also will be closed, along with several smaller Forest Service roads. Closed roads and trails will be signed.

Specialists will underburn about 375 acres. Ignitions are expected to take two days and will occur between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.

Smoke and residual burning will be visible in the area for up to a week after ignition. Subdivisions and neighborhoods on the west side of Bend can expect some nighttime and early morning smoke impacts after the burn. Trails will reopen once deemed safe, officials said

The objective of this prescribed burn is to reintroduce fire into a fire-evolved ecosystem and to reduce the potential impacts of a wildfire coming into Bend and Century Drive.

Also on Monday and Tuesday,  fuel specialists will conduct prescribed burning operations about seven miles south of Sisters adjacent to Forest Service Road 16 and near Melvin Butte. These burns were planned for last week but were not completed due to weather.

Specialists will underburn about 147 acres on two units. Ignitions will begin at 9:00 each day. Smoke will be visible from Highway 20 between Sisters and Bend, Highway 126 between Sisters and Redmond, and in the Sister’s area.

Signs will be placed on the FSR 16 that will indicate to motorists to slow down because of smoke impacts. Signs also will be posted on FSR 1620. Motorists should avoid FSR 1620 during operations due to smoke impacts and heavy fire traffic.

The objective of this prescribed burn is to reduce the risk of high-intensity fire to the public and firefighters and to protect public and private property by producing defensible space. The prescribed fire also will reduce uncharacteristically high fuel loads, improving forest health, sustainability, and resiliency.

The public can find an interactive map of prescribed burns as well as air quality information at this link: https://www.centraloregonfire.org/wildfire-smoke-air-quality-maps-2/  If the public wants to sign up for text alerts about prescribed fires and wildfires, they should text COFIRE to 888-777.

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