Prescribed burning operations on the Canyon 66 unit, east of Prineville, Ore. on Ochoco National Forest, successfully accomplished 2,800 acres on Tuesday, more than half the total 5,072 acres planned.
Light winds out of the northwest dispersed smoke to the east and northeast of the unit today, but smoke is expected to settle in and around the unit Tuesday night, affecting residents in the area and closer to Prineville, Ore.
The burning operations have achieved desired results to date, with fire burning the understory at low to moderate intensity in a mosaic pattern with unburned patches. Individual trees have occasionally torched in pockets of heavy fuel loading. Containment lines around the unit have been constructed and blacklining operations completed this afternoon.
Fire managers plan to continue the prescribed burn tomorrow pending favorable conditions. The National Weather Service has announced a fire weather watch beginning Thursday for Central and Eastern Oregon, calling for thunderstorms with chance of lightning ignitions. This weather prediction is one of the reasons fire managers moved the Canyon 66 prescribed burn forward one day to start today. Their intent is to complete ignitions prior to a change in weather. Interior burning and smoldering is expected to continue for up to two weeks.
