Two prescribed burns planned this month on the Crooked River National Grassland
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Fire managers on the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland are planning to conduct prescribed burns in two areas of the national grassland this month.
"These projects are part of the Forest Service’s commitment to reducing wildfire risk, restoring critical habitat and supporting healthy, resilient ecosystems under the Wildfire Crisis Strategy," Tuesday's announcement stated.
If weather conditions remain favorable, Ochoco National Forest firefighters will ignite slash piles near Haystack Reservoir and the Historic Grassland Headquarters by Rimrock Springs on Wednesday, January 8. The burn will cover 20 acres and is expected to take the day to complete.
A larger prescribed burn is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, or Wednesday, January 15, depending on weather conditions. This 350-acre project will take place in the Metolius Winter Range Juniper Unit, located about 20 miles north of Redmond and 20 miles southwest of Madras, near Grandview Cemetery.
Fuels treatments are a critical tool for proactive land management, officials said. These treatments reduce hazardous fuels, such as overgrown junipers, which helps lower the risk of high-intensity wildfires. They also restore critical grassland habitat by improving the health of native plants like bitterbrush, a vital winter forage for big game species.
In addition, treatments reduce the spread of invasive noxious weeds, improve livestock grazing conditions and create safer conditions for firefighters by establishing defensible space and anchor points for future wildfire response.
Smoke will be visible in the surrounding areas during the burns. For the slash piles, smoke may be seen from Highway 26 near Rimrock Springs but is not expected to impact nearby communities.
The Metolius Winter Range Juniper Unit burn may produce visible smoke in the Three Rivers area and along roads such as Graham Road, SW Squaw Flat Road and SW Jordan Road. Signs will be posted in the area to alert drivers to prescribed fire activity.
Firefighters will remain on-site to monitor and secure the burn areas until they are fully contained. Patrols will continue as needed, to ensure public safety and fire containment.
For more information, visit centraloregonfire.org/ or fs.usda.gov/ochoco and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire. Text COFIRE to 888-777 to receive prescribed fire text alerts.
