Firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest are planning prescribed burning on the Bend-Fort Rock and Crescent Ranger District on Wednesday if conditions remain favorable.
The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District plans to conduct up to 283 acres one mile west of Bend, south of Cascade Lakes Highway and west of Forest Service Road (FSR) 41 on the Tiddlywinks 2 Prescribed Burn.
Ignitions are planned for 11 a.m. Ignitions will be occurring directly along a portion of the Cascade Lake Highway. A pilot car may be implemented if needed based on smoke impacts.
Smoke will be visible from Cascade Lakes Highway, FSR 41, Bend and the surrounding area. Residents in Bend and along the Deschutes River drainage including Sunriver and La Pine are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.
Firefighters on the Crescent Ranger District plan to conduct 100 acres 12 miles southwest of Crescent and a mile and a half south of Two Rivers subdivision on the Sting 7 and 8 Prescribed Burn units.
Ignitions are planned for 10 a.m. Smoke will be visible from Highways 97 and 58 and Crescent. No road or trail closures are anticipated. Residents in the Two Rivers subdivision are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.
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 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 centraloregonfire.org/protect-
your-health 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 fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
