For Release: October 25, 2021
Crescent Ranger District to Conduct Pile Burning
Fuels specialists plan to ignite 293 acres of piles over next two days
Crescent, Ore— Crescent Ranger District plans to conduct a total of 293 acres of pile burning over the next two days. If conditions remain favorable on Tuesday and Wednesday, fuels specialists plan to ignite piles located southeast of the Highways 58/97 junction.
No road or trail closures are anticipated. Smoke may be visible from Highway 97. Firefighters will monitor the highway for smoke impacts and place warning signs where precautions may be needed. Once ignited, piles are monitored by firefighters until declared out.
Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. While smoke may linger in the area, there is a real benefit to burning this type of vegetation. The piles are concentrations of leftover materials associated with previous vegetation management activities intended to remove hazardous fuels that can burn during summer wildfires.
Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to analyze weather conditions and anticipated smoke dispersion to determine burn dates. When smoke is present, motorists should reduce speed and turn on headlights. All efforts will be made to limit smoke impacts to area neighborhoods and communities. The possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas due to cool night-time temperatures. Residents in areas near burn operations are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid possible smoke impacts.
For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit the interactive website at https://centraloregonfire.org/ or visit www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire. For further questions contact the Crescent Ranger District at (541) 433-3200.
-USFS-
