On Tuesday, Sisters Ranger District firefighters plan to conduct up to 31 acres of prescribed burning on Sisters Area Fuels Reduction (SAFR) Unit 38 approximately three miles south of Sisters adjacent to Three Creek Lake Road (Forest Service Road 16) east of the Lower Whychus Trailhead.
Ignitions are slated to begin around 10 a.m. Smoke will be visible from Sisters, Three Creek Lake Road and the surrounding area. Residents in the Sisters and Plainview areas are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Road and trail closures are not anticipated although the public is asked to use caution where fire traffic and firefighters are present. Three Creek Lake Road may experience some smoke impacts. Signage will be in place and drivers are asked to slow down and turn on headlights.
The Forest Service is conducting this burn in cooperation with Oregon Department of Forestry and an adjacent private landowner. 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 monitor and patrol the units until they declare the burn out.
Also, starting Tuesday, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters plan to conduct prescribed burn operations adjacent to Paulina Lake Road approximately six miles northeast of La Pine and approximately two miles east of the Newberry Estates subdivision. If conditions are favorable, ignitions may continue on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Tuesday, ignitions are planned for up to 203 acres (Odin North 12) along Forest Service Road 2120, which provides access to McKay Crossing Campground. Ignitions are slated to begin around 10 a.m. If conditions remain favorable, firefighters may continue ignitions on Wednesday on up to 300 acres (Odin North 15) and Thursday on up to 200 acres.
Smoke will be visible from La Pine, Highway 97, Paulina Lake Road and the surrounding area. Residents in the Newberry Estates subdivision are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Road and trail closures are not anticipated although the public is asked to use caution where fire traffic and firefighters are present. Paulina Lake Road may experience smoke impacts. Signage will be in place and drivers are asked to slow down and turn on headlights.
The prescribed burn units are within the Ogden Vegetation Management Project area and received thinning and mastication 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.
These 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 these prescribed burns 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.
- All residents are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid smoke impacts
- 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, ask your doctor about how to protect yourself from smoke
- Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon
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 us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
