The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

On Wednesday, if favorable conditions persist, firefighters on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct 153 acres of prescribed fire adjacent to Forest Service Road (FSR) 1505 approximately two miles south of Sisters. No road or trail closures are anticipated.

Fire managers are implementing these understory burns to reduce hazardous fuels accumulation decreasing the risk of high-intensity wildfire in the area. Prescribed burning reintroduces and maintains fire within the fire-adapted ecosystem helping to stabilize and improve the resiliency of forest conditions while increasing public and firefighter safety. Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out.

Prescribed fires 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.

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 fire in Central Oregon.

For more information on hazardous fuels reduction projects in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ or visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes and follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE to 888-777 to receive prescribed fire and wildfire text alerts.