The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service will begin prescribed burning operations throughout Oregon and Washington as weather, fuel, and air quality become favorable.
According to the BLM, operations will continue throughout the fall and winter. These burns are carefully planned to reduce hazardous fuels, protect nearby communities, and restore native ecosystems. Information about specific upcoming and active burns is available at www.blm.gov.
Techniques range from broadcast burning, which is the application of fire to an entire area, to hand and machine pile ignitions. These burns focus on increasing safety in the Wildland-Urban Interface and restoring ecological function to the landscape.
During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight. Residents in these areas are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid smoke impacts. When driving in smoky areas, slow down and turn on headlights.
People with heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, should ask their doctors about protecting themselves from smoke, and monitor their local air quality map.
All burns are carried out when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality are within prescribed parameters. Firefighters use a combination of natural features and constructed control lines to keep the fire contained, with protocols in place to minimize smoke impacts on nearby communities.
