Bend, OR – Deschutes National Forest firefighters are preparing to start the spring prescribed burning season as early as mid-April, contingent on favorable weather conditions. The burns are part of an ongoing forest management strategy aimed at reducing hazardous fuels, enhancing wildlife habitat, and maintaining the overall health of the forest.

The Forest Service has outlined plans to conduct prescribed burns across approximately 8,860 acres within the forest, including a substantial 7,000 acres on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District. Other districts, such as Crescent and Sisters, will see smaller-scale burns, with 360 acres planned for Crescent and 1,500 acres for Sisters.

These controlled burns will take place in several specific locations throughout the Deschutes National Forest, each chosen for its need to reduce wildfire risk and promote ecosystem health. The targeted areas include:

• Bend: West of Bend, adjacent to Cascade Lakes Highway, Forest Service Road (FSR) 41, Skyliners Road, Phils Trailhead area, and the Deschutes River. Additional burns are planned southeast of Bend near the junction of FSR 18 and FSR 25.

• Camp Sherman: Burns will be conducted along FSR 14 south of Camp Sherman, along FSR 800 south of the Camp Sherman Store, and west of Camp Sherman along FSR 1216.

• Crescent: Planned burns are located southeast of Crescent and east of Highway 97 off FSR 9760 near Boundary Springs Campground, as well as south of Crescent near the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 58.

• La Pine: Northeast of La Pine, the Forest Service plans to burn areas on both the north and south sides of Paulina Lake Road (FSR 21) and southeast of La Pine near Finley Butte.

• Sisters: Prescribed burns are slated for south and west of Sisters, particularly near the Indian Ford Campground area and along both sides of Highway 20.

• Sunriver: East of Sunriver, the Forest Service will burn areas on the east side of Highway 97 near Lava Butte.

Prescribed burns are a critical tool for forest management, allowing the Forest Service to control and reduce excess vegetation that could fuel larger, uncontrolled wildfires. By setting fire to carefully selected areas in a controlled manner, firefighters can improve the health of the forest, boost wildlife habitat, and reduce the severity of future wildfires.

While these burns are an essential part of forest maintenance, they can produce visible smoke, which may affect nearby communities. Forest Service officials recommend that residents stay informed about burn schedules to minimize any health impacts from smoke.

The burns will begin as soon as conditions are deemed safe, with mid-April being the target timeframe. The Forest Service urges the public to remain aware of the prescribed burn areas and to take necessary precautions if smoke impacts their location.

For more details on specific burn locations, community members can refer to detailed maps provided by the Deschutes National Forest.