Firefighters on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District will conduct approximately 280 acres of prescribed burning three miles southwest of Sunriver and immediately west of the Three Rivers neighborhood.
If conditions remain favorable, firefighters will conduct the ignitions on Friday. Ignitions will begin around 11 a.m. and last one day. No road or trail closures are anticipated. Smoke will be visible throughout Sunriver and surrounding areas. Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out.
This prescribed fire is part of a multi-year project to protect the Upper Deschutes River Communities from wildfire and is part of the UDR Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Numerous partners worked together to reach this stage of community protection. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within the fire-adapted ecosystem helping to stabilize and improve the resiliency of forest conditions while increasing public and firefighter safety.
Prescribed fires 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. Sometimes, weather patterns change, and some smoke will be present during prescribed burns.
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 and turn on headlights
- 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 fire in Central Oregon
For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit the interactive website at centraloregonfire.org/ or visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
