BEND, Ore. — Cool and wet weather has opened the door for the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests to begin pile burning efforts as a way to reduce fuels.

Piles of trees and woody debris will be burned based on moisture levels, weather forecasts and conditions, allowing smoke to move away from communities. Firefighters will start with higher elevation piles and move to lower elevations as the winter progresses. Ignitions are expected to last until early next year.

Pile burning will occur on around 5,000 acres of the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, including west of Bend, east of Edison Butte, west of Sunriver, along the Cascade Lakes Highway, north of Tumalo Creek and southeast of La Pine.

The Crescent Ranger District plans to conduct pile burning on up to approximately 2,500 acres, including along Forest Road 60 north of Windigo Pass, in the vicinity of Bunny Butte, south of Crescent and east of Davis Mountain.

The Sisters Ranger District plans to implement pile burning on up to 500 acres in a variety of locations, including south of Sisters near Forest Road 16, the Green Ridge area northeast of Sisters and areas around the Metolius Basin.

Smoke may linger in areas where the burning occurs, and the Forest Service asks that members of the public not report incidents of smoke. The piles are concentrations of leftover materials from vegetation management, which is one strategy used to prevent fast-spreading wildfires. 

Pile burning is also being planned on the Ochoco National Forest, where 3,200 acres of hazardous fuels are being treated. Work is expected to continue into December.

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