After a summer consumed by suppression operations on record-breaking wildfire activity, Deschutes National Forest firefighters are turning their attention to proactive forest management. The forest announced Thursday that it plans to begin its fall understory prescribed burning season as early as Tuesday, September 29, if weather conditions are favorable.

Planned Burn Locations and Acreage

This fall, the Deschutes National Forest may accomplish up to an estimated 5,886 acres of prescribed burning across three ranger districts:

  • Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District: Up to 4,375 acres
  • Crescent Ranger District: Up to 1,230 acres
  • Sisters Ranger District: Up to 281 acres

Specific burn areas include locations near the following communities:

  • Bend: 13 miles southeast of Bend on the northern portions of Pine Mountain
  • Crescent: Near the junction of Highway 58 and Forest Service Road 5825; also within the Three Trails OHV System south of the Highway 58 and 97 junction
  • La Pine: Multiple units southeast of La Pine near Forest Service Roads 22 and 3115, and east of La Pine in the Quartz Mountain area
  • Sisters: Multiple units near Forest Service Roads 15, 1510, and 1513, including areas west of Highway 20
  • Sunriver: One mile west of Sunriver near Forest Service Roads 40 and 45, in the vicinities of Anne's Butte, Pistol Butte, and south of Wanoga Butte

Why Prescribed Burns Matter

Understory prescribed burns are a critical tool for reducing wildfire risk to communities and restoring forest health. By deliberately burning accumulated fine fuels — pine needles, grasses, and small woody debris — under carefully controlled conditions, forest managers reduce the intensity and rate of spread of future wildfires. Fire-dependent ecosystems like ponderosa pine forests in central Oregon evolved with frequent low-intensity fire, and reintroducing that fire cycle helps restore ecological function while making forests more resilient.

The goal this fall is to create firebreaks and fuel breaks around communities like Bend, Sisters, and La Pine, which sit within or adjacent to the wildland-urban interface and face elevated long-term wildfire exposure.

Managing Smoke Impacts

Firefighters implementing prescribed burns work closely with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Forestry smoke forecasters to identify conditions that will minimize smoke impacts on residents and communities. Burns are conducted only when temperature, wind, humidity, and vegetation moisture conditions fall within specific prescription parameters.

Some smoke from prescribed burns is expected to be visible and may impact communities, particularly during night and early morning hours when smoke settles into valleys. Residents sensitive to smoke are advised to monitor burn notifications and take precautions as needed.

To receive prescribed burn text alerts for central Oregon, text COFIRE to 888-777. Planned burn locations can be viewed on an interactive map at centraloregonfire.org/prescribed-fire-smoke-plans. For general information about the Deschutes National Forest prescribed burning program, visit fs.usda.gov/deschutes.

Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect for federal lands across central Oregon. These restrictions prohibit campfires and warming fires except within designated developed campgrounds and remain in place given the continuing potential for wildfire on the landscape.