On Thursday, May 8 , the Deschutes Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the Deschutes National Forest plan to implement a cross-boundary prescribed burn on 50 acres of the Deschutes Land Trust’s Metolius Preserve and five acres of Forest Service land.
Ignitions are slated to begin at 9 a.m. Smoke will be visible from the Metolius Basin and surrounding areas. Residents in the Metolius Basin are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.
The Metolius Preserve will remain open during the burn period. The public is encouraged to avoid Lake Creek Trail and other trails in the northern section of the Preserve due to smoke impacts.
This cross-boundary prescribed burn is being conducted through a formal agreement between the Deschutes Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the Forest Service. Implementation of the prescribed burn will include support from federal, state, and municipal firefighting resources.
Also, if conditions are favorable on Thursday, May 8, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters plan to conduct up to 395 acres of ignitions on the Thor Prescribed Burn Units 6 and 7 located approximately five miles northeast of La Pine, near Ogden Group Camp and McKay Crossing Campground.
Ignitions are planned for Thursday and will continue Friday if conditions remain favorable. No road or trail closures are anticipated.
Ignitions are slated to begin around 10 a.m. Smoke will be visible from La Pine, Sunriver, Highway 97, and the surrounding area. Residents in La Pine and Newberry Estates are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours. Smoke impacts are also possible across Highway 97 during ignitions and overnight and in the early morning hours.
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.
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 and in the early morning hours.
- All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts.
- If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner.
- If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible.
- 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, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional.
- Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources.
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.
