Firefighters on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct prescribed burn operations directly west of Sisters on Friday.
If conditions are favorable, the Sisters Ranger District will conduct prescribed burn operations on 128 acres on National Forest lands located just west of Sisters with boundaries along Forest Service Road 15, Highway 242, Edgington Road and Forest Service Road 1505. Firefighters plan to start ignitions around 10 a.m. on Friday. Trails within the prescribed burn unit will be rerouted during operations.
Firefighters use weather and wind conditions to help minimize smoke impacts to roadways and communities. Smoke will be visible from the town of Sisters, the Crossroads and Tollgate subdivisions and surrounding areas. Smoke impacts may occur on Highway 242, Edgington Road and Forest Service Roads 15 and 1505. Flaggers and signage will be implemented as needed.
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.
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. 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 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 Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
