Prescribed burns planned this week west of Pine Mountain; some OHV trails to be closed
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — If conditions are favorable, fire management specialists on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District will conduct prescribed fire operations over the next three days, east of Bend and five miles west of Pine Mountain, adjacent to the junction of Forest Service Roads 18 and 25 and near the Road 25 OHV Staging Area.
Ignitions are slated to begin Tuesday and continue into Wednesday and Thursday, if favorable conditions remain, the Deschutes National Forest said Monday.
Depending on conditions, fire management specialists plan to ignite between 100 and 500 acres each of the three days. Fire specialists will initiate ignitions around noon on Tuesday and near 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
A handful of OHV trails will be temporarily closed, to maintain public and firefighter safety. Closed OHV trails include Trails #12, #40, #42 and #50. Arterial roads in the area will remain open; however, some three-digit roads will be temporarily closed. Please use caution and slow down if driving through the area. Watch for firefighters and firefighting equipment.
Residual fire and smoke will be visible in the area for a few weeks following ignitions. Firefighters will monitor the prescribed burn for several days until it is declared out. Residents in the Pine Mountain vicinity may experience smoke impacts during the mornings following ignitions.
Fire management specialists are implementing the understory burn to reduce hazardous fuels accumulation, decreasing the risk of high-intensity wildfire in the area, as well as to enhance forest health by restoring fire to the fire-adapted ecosystem.
Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to analyze weather conditions and anticipated smoke dispersion to determine burn dates.
When smoke is present, motorists should reduce speed and turn on headlights. All efforts will be made to limit smoke impacts to area neighborhoods and communities. The possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas due to cool night-time temperatures. Residents in areas near burn operations are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid possible smoke impacts.
For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit the interactive website at http://www.centraloregonfire.org/ or visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow on Twitter @CentralORFire. For further questions, contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District at (541) 383-5300.
