As Oregon's destructive 2026 fire season moves into the history books, land managers on the Deschutes National Forest are wasting little time pivoting to proactive fire management. Crews began fall prescribed burning operations this week, targeting understory fuels across Central Oregon that will help reduce the risk of future high-severity wildfires.
What, Where, and When
The Deschutes National Forest announced on September 25 that firefighters planned to begin fall understory prescribed burning as early as the following week, pending favorable weather and conditions. The forest could burn up to 5,886 acres across multiple units in Central Oregon, with burning planned near communities including Bend, Sisters, La Pine, and Crescent.
One of the first scheduled operations is a prescribed burn on the Crescent Ranger District, planned for Thursday, October 1 — nine miles southwest of Crescent and one mile south of the Two Rivers area. This burn is part of the forest's broader effort to maintain fire-adapted ecosystems in the ponderosa pine zones of Central Oregon.
Why Fall Burns Matter
Fall is one of two primary prescribed fire windows in the Pacific Northwest — the other being spring. After a summer of lightning and human-caused wildfires, October conditions can be ideal: moderate temperatures, higher relative humidity, and lighter winds that allow for controlled operations. Rainfall and snow will eventually end the window for outdoor burning, making the next few weeks critical for completing planned treatments.
Prescribed fire is widely recognized by fire scientists and land managers as one of the most effective tools for reducing catastrophic wildfire risk. By burning low-intensity fires through understory fuels — ladder fuels, dense shrubs, and accumulated debris on the forest floor — managers interrupt the fuel ladders that allow ground fires to climb into tree crowns, where they become much harder to control.
Smoke and Air Quality Considerations
Residents near burning areas may notice smoke in the coming days and weeks. The Deschutes National Forest works with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and local air quality agencies to monitor smoke and adjust burn operations when conditions could cause unhealthy air quality in populated areas.
The Oregon Smoke Management Program coordinates prescribed fire notifications statewide. Residents can check AirNow.gov or the Oregon DEQ's Air Quality Index map for real-time conditions in their area.
Other Forests Beginning Fall Burns
The Deschutes is not alone. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in northeastern Oregon has also announced plans to begin fall prescribed fire operations. The U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region maintains a publicly accessible PNW Prescribed Fire Tracker that displays planned burning activities across the region, giving residents advance notice of where and when smoke may be visible.
After a season in which 2.1 million acres burned in Oregon alone — much of it as catastrophic, unplanned wildfire — land managers and advocacy groups are emphasizing that prescribed fire is not optional. The choice is between planned, low-intensity burns now, or uncontrolled catastrophic fire later.
Residents and recreationists in Central Oregon are encouraged to check the Deschutes National Forest website and the Central Oregon Fire Information resource at centraloregonfire.org for updates on burning activity and potential road or trail closures associated with prescribed fire operations.