The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) have launched their fall prescribed burn season across Oregon and Washington, with operations beginning in early October as weather, fuel conditions, and air quality became favorable. The effort marks a shift from emergency response mode to proactive land management following one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in Pacific Northwest history.

Operations are expected to continue throughout the fall and winter months, targeting a broad range of landscape types across both states.

Why Prescribed Fire Matters Now

Following a season that burned nearly 2.4 million acres in Oregon alone, land managers are increasingly focused on reducing the fuel loads that made this year's fires so severe and fast-moving. Prescribed fire is widely regarded as one of the most cost-effective tools available for reducing wildfire risk to communities and improving the long-term health of forest and rangeland ecosystems.

Josh O'Connor, Northwest Geographic Area Fire Chief for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, framed the approach directly: “Prescribed fire is one of our most effective tools for reducing wildfire risk and improving habitat. By carefully planning and executing these burns, we're helping protect communities and strengthen the health of our public lands.”

Techniques and Target Areas

Managers are using a range of prescribed fire techniques, including:

  • Broadcast burning: applying fire to entire treatment areas to reduce surface and ladder fuels broadly.
  • Hand pile ignitions: burning concentrated piles of cut timber and brush by hand.
  • Machine pile ignitions: igniting larger debris piles compiled through mechanical thinning operations.

Priority areas include the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) — zones where homes and communities abut fire-prone forests and rangelands — as well as areas with residual fuels from previous thinning and hazardous tree removal operations. The Deschutes National Forest has been actively burning understory vegetation west of Sisters as part of its fall program.

Smoke Awareness for Nearby Residents

Federal managers note that while all burns are conducted within prescribed weather and air quality windows, some smoke impacts to nearby communities are possible, particularly overnight when smoke tends to settle into valleys and low-lying areas. The BLM and USWFS advise:

  • Residents near planned burns should close windows at night to limit smoke intrusion.
  • Drivers encountering smoky conditions should slow down and turn on headlights.
  • People with asthma, heart disease, lung conditions, or other chronic health issues should consult their healthcare provider about protective measures during burn seasons.

Specific information about upcoming burns in Oregon and Washington is available through the BLM's regional prescribed fire program page. Washington residents can also monitor burn activity and sign up for notifications through the Washington DNR's burn portal at burnportal.dnr.wa.gov.

The Role of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations

Beyond federal operations, Oregon's network of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) — volunteer organizations of ranchers who provide first-response fire suppression on private and state land — continues to play a vital role. The North Harney RFPA, for example, helped fight the Second Flat Fire this summer using military-surplus vehicles retrofitted for firefighting. These local organizations extend the reach of state and federal agencies into remote areas where response times would otherwise be far too long. The upcoming fall and winter season offers an opportunity to repair and restock equipment ahead of next year.