More prescribed burns planned Thursday east of Sunriver and south of Crescent

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest are planning more prescribed burn operations Thursday on the Bend-Fort Rock and Crescent ranger districts east of Sunriver and south of Crescent.

On the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, firefighters are planning prescribed burn ignitions on up to 325 acres 15 miles south of Bend and about two miles east of Sunriver. The Klone 1 Prescribed Burn is located east of Highway 97, south of the Hwy 97 Exit 153 interchange, north of the Vandevert Road interchange and south of Abbot Pit.

Ignitions on the Klone 1 Prescribed Burn are planned for 10 a.m. Smoke will be highly visible from Highway 97, Bend, La Pine and Sunriver. Sunriver, La Pine and Bend may experience some smoke impacts. Residents are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts.

Smoke impacts are typically most notable overnight and in the early morning hours. Road and trail closures are not anticipated although the public is asked to use caution and slow down where fire traffic and firefighters are present. This area has been previously thinned and mowed prior to returning low-intensity fire through prescribed burning.

The Crescent Ranger District plans to implement up to 155 acres of prescribed burning on the Sting 19/20 Prescribed Burn, located about nine miles south of Crescent two miles south of the Two River subdivision, about four miles south of Highway 58, and just east of Forest Service Road 5835. Ignitions are slated for 9 a.m. on Thursday and may continue on Friday.

Smoke may be visible from Two Rivers subdivision, and Highways 97 and 58. Road and trail closures are not anticipated although the public is asked to use caution and slow down where fire traffic and firefighters are present in the area. OHV Trails 13 and 39 may have some smoke impacts.

Residents in the Two Rivers subdivision are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are typically most notable overnight and in the early morning hours.

Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within a fire-dependent ecosystem helping to stabilize and improve the resiliency of forest conditions while increasing public and firefighter safety. Once firefighters ignite prescribed burns, they patrol the units until they declare the burn out.

These prescribed burns are occurring within the Central Oregon Landscape, one of 21 focal landscapes identified within the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The implementation of these prescribed burns supports the Deschutes National Forest’s commitment to addressing the Wildfire Crisis Strategy which aims to reduce severity of wildfires, protect communities, and improve the health and resiliency of fire-dependent forests.

Prescribed burns can protect homes from tragic wildfires. Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to plan prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are conducted when weather is most likely to move smoke up and away from our communities. While prescribed fire managers take significant preventive measures, it’s likely that communities may experience some smoke during or immediately after a prescribed burn. 

What does this mean for you?

• All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts.
• If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner.
• If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible.
• When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and turn air to recirculating.
• If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional.
• Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources.

For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.