Deschutes National Forest firefighters plan to start spring prescribed burning season as early as mid-April if conditions become favorable. The Deschutes National Forest may accomplish up to an estimated 8,860 acres of prescribed burning, including up to an estimated 7,000 acres on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, 360 acres on the Crescent Ranger District, and 1,500 acres on the Sisters Ranger District.
Prescribed burns are slated for the following areas:
- Bend – west of Bend adjacent to Cascade Lakes Highway, Forest Service Road (FSR) 41, Skyliners Road, Phils Trailhead area, and the Deschutes River, and southeast of Bend near the junction of FSR 18 and FSR 25.
- Camp Sherman – along FSR 14 south of Camp Sherman, along FSR 800 south of the Camp Sherman Store, and west of Camp Sherman along FSR 1216.
- Crescent –southeast of Crescent and east of Highway 97 off FSR 9760 near Boundary Springs Campground, south of Crescent and one mile north of the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 58, and south of the Two Rivers subdivision and west of Highway 97 off FSR 5835.
- La Pine – northeast of La Pine on the north and south sides of Paulina Lake Road (FSR 21), and southeast of La Pine near Finley Butte.
- Sisters – south and west of Sisters and both sides of Highway 20 near the Indian Ford Campground area.
- Sunriver – east of Sunriver and Lava Butte on the east side of Highway 97.
Please see maps for more information on specific locations.
Firefighters implement understory prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk to communities. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within our fire-dependent ecosystem by removing concentrations of vegetation and restoring forest health while increasing public and firefighter safety. Once firefighters ignite prescribed burns, they monitor and patrol the units until they declare the burn out.
Prescribed burns, which are primarily conducted in spring and fall, are carefully planned and implemented under specific conditions of temperature, wind, humidity, and vegetation moisture. Firefighters work with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Forestry smoke forecasters to identify conditions that will minimize smoke impacts on people and 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. Most smoke impacts occur during the night and early morning hours.
Public Health officials from Deschutes, Jefferson, and Klamath Counties encourage community members to prepare for smoke ahead of the Spring Prescribed Burn Season. For tips on how to get “Smoke Ready,” visit the Deschutes County website.
For more information on prescribed burning and smoke preparedness in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Visit centraloregonfire.org/
