Firefighters to conduct ignitions on 4-acre training plot 1.5 miles west of Sunriver
Bend, Ore – Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District firefighters are cancelling ignitions on the 113-acre Big Eddy Prescribed Burn four miles west of Bend, south of the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station, adjacent to the east side of Forest Service 41 and west of the Deschutes River.
Firefighters remain in constant coordination with weather forecasters and smoke specialists leading up to and during a prescribed burn. At this time, current and forecasted winds are no longer providing favorable conditions to lift smoke up and away from the community.
The following closures remain in place at this time due to ignitions on Big Eddy Prescribed Burn units earlier this week. Firefighters are assessing conditions and will reopen once the areas are safe:
Deschutes River Access Points
- Lava Island Day Use River Access – Closed
- Big Eddy Day Use River Access – Closed
- Aspen Day Use River Access – Closed
Roads / Parking
- All roads on the east side of Forest Service Road 41 between the junction with the Cascade Lakes Highway south to Dillon Falls – Closed
- Forest Service Road 41-800 (Access to Lava Island Day Use) – Closed
- Forest Service Road 41-750 (Access to Big Eddy Day Use) – Closed
- Forest Service Road 41-700 (Access to Aspen Day Use) – Closed
- Storm King Trailhead Parking – Closed
Trails
- Catch & Release – Closed between the Cascade Lakes Highway to Storm King junction.
- Deschutes River Trail – Closed from Meadow Day Use Area south to Dillon Falls. The Deschutes River Trail is open south of Dillon Falls.
- Deschutes River Horse Trail – Closed
- Deschutes River MTB Trail – Closed between Meadow Day Use Area south to Dillon Falls.
- One Hour Horse Trail – Closed
- Two Hour Horse Trail – Closed
Firefighters do have favorable conditions to ignite quarter-acre test plots on up to four acres within West Maintenance 5I Prescribed Burn units to prepare for an upcoming Wildfire Origin and Cause Determination Course. This unit is located a mile and a half west of Sunriver, two miles north of Besson Day Use and east of Forest Service Road 41. Ignitions are planned for noon today. Smoke may be visible from Sunriver.
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 When Smoke is in the Air 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 www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X/Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
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