UPDATE on prescribed fires planned in Central Oregon
Prescribed fire southeast of Bend today
Burning continues on the Ochoco National Forest
CENTRAL OREGON – Today, fuels specialists on the Deschutes National Forest will be conducting a prescribed burn about 12 miles southeast of Bend in the vicinity of Company Butte, near the intersection of China Hat Road and the 1825 Road. Smoke from this 138 acre fire will be visible from Bend, Sunriver, Lapine and Highway 97 with residual smoke lingering in low lying areas for the following days.
As smoke lingers in the area of the Kipuka Burn conducted Thursday, the Hoffman Island Trail and FS Road 9720 will remain closed between FS Road 800 and FS Road 9710 through the weekend.
The burn conducted in the Metolius Basin Research Natural Area near Camp Sherman Wednesday and Thursday is in mop-up and patrol status and will also produce smoke through the weekend.
On the Ochoco National Forest, specialists will continue with the two operations that were initiated Wednesday: 1) 15 miles northeast of Prineville near Wildcat Campground; and 2) 12 miles northeast of Post, OR and 6 miles south of Big Summit Prairie. Additionally, specialists will initiate a multi-day prescribed fire 15 miles south of Mitchell, OR and 2 miles east of Big Summit Prairie.
Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out.
For more information, visit the Ochoco/Deschutes website at www.fs.usda.gov/centraloregon and follow us on twitter @CentralORFire. Subsequent news releases and “tweets” will follow to provide updates on these potential operations.
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The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.
