Wind forecast prompts cancellation of 113-acre prescribed burn west of Bend; river trail, some area access have reopened

(Update: Burn west of Bend canceled due to wind forecast)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Wind forecasts prompted Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters to cancel Friday's planned ignitions on the 113-acre Big Eddy Prescribed Burn four miles west of Bend, south of the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station, adjacent to the east side of Forest Service 41 and west of the Deschutes River.

Firefighters remain in constant coordination with weather forecasters and smoke specialists leading up to and during a prescribed burn.

"At this time, current and forecasted winds are no longer providing favorable conditions to lift smoke up and away from the community," the update stated. The decision followed recent mornings where heavy smoke raised air pollution levels in some parts of the region.

On Saturday, the Deschutes National Forest announced that the Deschutes River Trail and access to Lava Island, Aspen & Big Eddy Day Use Areas are open again after the Big Eddy Prescribed Burn. All other trail/road closures within the prescribed burn area, including the One & Two Hour Horse Trails, remained in place for public safety.

Here was the original list of closures due to ignitions earlier in the week.

Deschutes River Access Points

• Lava Island Day Use River Access – Closed
• Big Eddy Day Use River Access – Closed
• Aspen Day Use River Access - Closed

Roads / Parking

• All roads on the east side of Forest Service Road 41 between the junction with the Cascade Lakes Highway south to Dillon Falls – Closed
• Forest Service Road 41-800 (Access to Lava Island Day Use) – Closed
• Forest Service Road 41-750 (Access to Big Eddy Day Use) – Closed
• Forest Service Road 41-700 (Access to Aspen Day Use) – Closed
• Storm King Trailhead Parking – Closed

Trails

• Catch & Release – Closed between the Cascade Lakes Highway to Storm King junction.
• Deschutes River Trail – Closed from Meadow Day Use Area south to Dillon Falls. The Deschutes River Trail is open south of Dillon Falls.
• Deschutes River Horse Trail – Closed
• Deschutes River MTB Trail – Closed between Meadow Day Use Area south to Dillon Falls.
• One Hour Horse Trail – Closed
• Two Hour Horse Trail – Closed

In an update Friday afternoon, officials said, "The portion of Catch & Release between the Welcome Station & Storm King jct. that was closed for the Big Eddy Prescribed Burn is now open! Firefighters are continuing to assess conditions on the other road, trail and river access closures and will open them as soon as safe."

Firefighters did have favorable conditions to ignite quarter-acre test plots on up to four acres within West Maintenance 5I Prescribed Burn units to prepare for an upcoming Wildfire Origin and Cause Determination Course. This unit is located a mile and a half west of Sunriver, two miles north of Besson Day Use and east of Forest Service Road 41.

They said smoke might be visible from Sunriver.

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.

The prescribed burn is within the West Bend Project area and received thinning and mowing to reduce vegetation loading prior to burning. 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.

This 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 this prescribed burn 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?

During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight and in the early morning hours.

• 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 on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.