Ochoco National Forest to host Redmond Smokejumpers Monday for rookie training live fire exercise

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Ochoco National Forest will host the Redmond Smokejumpers for their Rookie Training live fire exercise next Monday.

Weather permitting, ignitions will take place 10 a.m. Monday. The training will take place on the Lookout Mountain Ranger District, 10 miles southeast of Post, near Drake Butte.

There are no road or trail closures anticipated and smoke impacts are expected to be minimal. Smoke may be visible from surrounding communities.

The live fire exercise is the final stage of an extensive six-week training program. It serves as an evaluation for rookie candidates and provides valuable feedback on their suppression tactics. It allows for training cadre to observe the candidates in a controlled environment that closely resembles real-world situations. The exercise consists of scenario-based challenges that test the candidate's ability to effectively manage a fire from start to finish.

Participants will completely extinguish the fire before they leave for the evening, officials said. Firefighters will conduct patrols to monitor the burn area until they declare the burn out.

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