PENDLETON, Ore. - Fire management officials on the Umatilla National Forest are preparing to implement the forest’s fall prescribed burn plan, which could impact camping and hunting opportunities in several hunting units across the forest. Any associated road and trail closures will go into effect prior to and during burn operations, which typically take 2-5 days to complete. Hunters are advised to plan ahead and avoid camping in the designated prescribed burn areas during the upcoming 2019 hunting season.

Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup. Prescribed burning is an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation.

Prescribed burning is also highly dependent on weather conditions, which have to be within a narrow criteria window in order to use prescribed fire. Factors such as wind speed and direction, temperatures, relative humidity, and fuel moistures are all taken into consideration prior to implementing a prescribed burn operation. With the current rains and moderate temperatures across the Forest, many areas are conducive to successful prescribed fire implementation in the near term.

“From a restoration objective standpoint, late summer and fall provide the best opportunities for the timing of prescribed fires,” said Andrew Stinchfield, Deputy Fire Staff Officer. “Fire behavior during fall weather conditions are more likely to align with how the native vegetation has adapted to fire.”

The Forest Service recognizes that hunting season coincides with prescribed burning season and can impact hunters, but controlled burns are necessary to reintroduce fire to the landscape and encourage healthy vegetation that will ultimately improve landscapes and forage for big game.

Hunters should be cautious when entering a recently burned area and be aware of increased hazards, particularly snags. Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a fire are unstable, especially in high winds.

“Don’t camp or hang out in the burned area. And, as always, let someone know your planned route, destination and expected return time,” said Stinchfield.

Each prescribed burn represents many years of planning and preparation to ensure burn operations meet prescriptive conditions that allow for successful burns that provide multiple benefits to resources. The forest works closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington Department of Natural Resources in accordance with the State’s Smoke Management Plans to determine when, where, and how much is burned on a daily basis. Potential smoke impacts, looking at volume of smoke, direction of spread, and mixing heights, are determined prior to each burn. All burns will be monitored until a season ending rain or snow occurs.

The Umatilla National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map displaying planned burning activities, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning. Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/. Additional information on prescribed burning is available on the Umatilla National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla/, on the Forest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF, or at any forest office.

For more information about the Umatilla National Forest’s Prescribed Burn program, please contact one of the following Forest Service personnel:

• Tara Mackleit, Pomeroy Ranger - (509) 843-4676

• Joby Sciarrino, Walla Walla Ranger District - (509) 522-6283

• Jesse Bohnsack, North Fork John Day Ranger District - (541) 427-5399

• Kristen Marshall, Heppner Ranger District - (541) 676-2130

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In partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Blue Mountain Elk Initiative and Oregon Department of Forestry, fire management officials on the Heppner Ranger District are implementing a large-scale prescribed natural fuel burn today.

The Lovlett prescribed burn is anticipated to take 4-5 days to complete and includes 500 acres of grass, brush, timber litter and timber understory south of Sunflower Flat near Lovlett Creek. The objective of the burn is to improve foraging habitat for big game, reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, and to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area.

Additional information about this prescribed burn is available by visiting the Umatilla National Forest’s prescribed fire interactive map. This map displays burning activities and is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/.

PENDLETON, Ore. – With the recent warmer and drier weather, fire management officials on the Umatilla National Forest are preparing to implement early season prescribed burning activities as soon as Monday, May 13, across portions of the Forest.

“Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire caused by excessive fuel buildup,” said Andrew Stinchfield, Deputy Fire Staff Officer.

Prescribed burning is an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation. In addition to reducing wildfire risk, prescribed fire also improves overall forest health and resilience to insects and diseases, and enhances habitat for elk, deer, and other wildlife.

Prescribed burning is also highly dependent on weather conditions, which have to be within a narrow criteria window in order to use prescribed fire. Factors such as wind speed and direction, temperatures, relative humidity, and fuel moistures are all taken into consideration prior to implementing a prescribed burn operation.

Each prescribed burn represents many years of planning and preparation to ensure burn operations meet prescriptive conditions that allow for successful burns that provide multiple benefits to resources. The forest works closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington Department of Natural Resources in accordance with the State’s Smoke Management Plans to determine when, where, and how much is burned on a daily basis. Potential smoke impacts, looking at volume of smoke, direction of spread, and mixing heights, are determined prior to each burn. All burns will be monitored until a season ending rain or snow occurs.

Early season burning operations typically begin in spring (or when the snow melts) and occur until the beginning of fire season. The Umatilla National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map displaying planned burning activities, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning. Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/. Additional information on prescribed burning is available on the Umatilla National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla/ or at any forest office.

For more information about the Umatilla National Forest’s Prescribed Burn program, please contact one of the following Forest Service personnel:

• Tara Mackleit, Pomeroy Ranger - (509) 843-4676

• Joby Sciarrino, Walla Walla Ranger District - (509) 522-6283

• Jesse Bohnsack, North Fork John Day Ranger District - (541) 427-5399

• Kristen Marshall, Heppner Ranger District - (541) 676-2130

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Fire management officials on the North Fork John Day Ranger District are implementing a 173 acre prescribed burn within the Meadowbrook FTJ1 burn unit, located approximately 7 miles south from Dale, Oregon and 6 miles east of Meadowbrook Summit.

The Meadowbrook prescribed burn is anticipated to take 1 day to complete and primarily consists of grass and juniper with some mixed pine. The objective of the burn is to improve foraging habitat for big game, reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, reduce material that is 0-3” in diameter to less than 9/10ths per acre, and to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area. Hunters and forest visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the area during prescribed burning activities.

Additional information about this prescribed burn is available by visiting the Umatilla National Forest’s new prescribed fire interactive map. This map displays burning activities and is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/.

Fire management officials on the North Fork John Day Ranger District are implementing a 1,000 acre prescribed burn within the Meadowbrook FT0 D and G burn units, located southwest from Dale, Oregon and north of Meadowbrook Summit. The burn units are on the 3963 Rd in the Hinton Creek drainage. Smoke may be visible along Highway 395.

The Meadowbrook prescribed burn is anticipated to take 5 day to complete and primarily consists of grass, open pine, and some juniper. The objective of the burn is to improve foraging habitat for big game, reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, and to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area. Hunters and forest visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the area during prescribed burning activities.

Additional information about this prescribed burn is available by visiting the Umatilla National Forest’s new prescribed fire interactive map. This map displays burning activities and is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/.

Fire management officials on the Walla Walla Ranger District are implementing a 150 acre prescribed burn within the Alder Creek burn unit, located approximately 22 miles North of Elgin, OR.

The Alder Creek prescribed burn is anticipated to take 1 day to complete and primarily consists of grass, brush and scattered timber. The objective of the burn is to improve foraging habitat for big game, reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, and to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area. Hunters and forest visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the area during prescribed burning activities.

Additional information about this prescribed burn is available by visiting the Umatilla National Forest’s new prescribed fire interactive map. This map displays burning activities and is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/.

With the extended dry period and no rain, the Pomeroy Ranger District’s Dark Canyon Prescribed Burn is continuing to creep and smolder in steep timber stringers.

On Sept.11, District Fire and Fuels Management staff, with the assistance of Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agency employees, ignited a 1,750-acre prescribed fire. The objectives were to reduce down and ladder fuels components in steep timbered stringers and enhance big game habitat on both Forest Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Service lands.

Night time higher relative humidities and lower temperatures have aided prescribed fire personnel in keeping everything under containment and within the prescription of the burn. The prescribed burn did spot in a couple of areas outside the original prescribed burn boundary last weekend due to the lower humidities and higher temperatures. Fire personnel have been successful in catching and holding those spots, even in steep, rocky terrain.

The Dark Canyon Prescribed Burn is continuing to burn in prescription and prescribed fire objectives are continuing to be met. With cooler weather and possible rains in the short term forecast, Forest visitors should start to see less and less smoke in the area.

In an effort to help local concerned individuals interested in learning more about this land management practice, including opportunities to visit the prescribed burn area, Pomeroy Ranger District staff are available and encourage the public to contact Fuels Management Staff Tara Mackleit (509-843-4676) or District Ranger Monte Fujishin (509-843-4620).

To see information about the prescribed burn on the Forest's interactive map, please visit: https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=28482e0732534ace891fba5273ac7768

Fire management officials on the Pomeroy Ranger District will be implementing activities fuels and pile burning over the next couple weeks.

The objective is to reduce activity slash and prepare the ground for natural and artificial regeneration. These units are located in various locations in the South George Timber Sale area (South Park 22 and South Park 40). Units range in size from 20 to 60 acres. The majority of smoke will be visible on the day of ignition and decrease dramatically the following day. Smoldering and lingering smoke will persist for the next several days.

Additional information about this prescribed burn is available by visiting the Umatilla National Forest’s new prescribed fire interactive map. This map displays burning activities and is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. (Note: only piles within timber sale units will appear on the interactive map, piles may be burned in other areas and those areas will not appear on the map). The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

Maps of the proposed prescribed burns are also located on InciWeb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5808/.

The Pomeroy Ranger District has completed ignition on the Dark Canyon Prescribed burn, located 24 miles SE of Pomeroy, Washington. Forest visitors may see some fire activity in the Dark Canyon area over the next couple of days as the fire continues to smolder and creep in the timbered areas. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) personnel will patrol the area over the next few days and/or weeks. Hunters and forest visitors should still be cautious when entering the area for snags, burning stumps and ash pits. With cooler and wetter conditions predicted, the Forest Service will transition to burning residual slash and fuels in recent timber sale units on the Pomeroy Ranger District. These units are located off Hogback (4302) road and Cloverland (4400) road.

Fire management officials on the Pomeroy Ranger District are implementing a large-scale prescribed natural fuel burn today.

The Dark Canyon prescribed burn is anticipated to take 2-5 days to complete and includes 1,750 acres of grass, brush, timber litter and timber understory in the Lick Creek Game Management Hunting Unit. The objective of the burn is to improve foraging habitat for big game, reduce long-term wildfire risk through reductions in existing fuel loading, and to restore the ecological functions of a fire adapted ecosystem to the area. #KnowBeforeYouGo Hunters and forest visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and avoid the area during prescribed burning activities.

Interested in more details on this prescribed burn? The Umatilla National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map displaying planned burning activities, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/y8b433th. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on certain areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc). When burning operations begin the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning. Check it out!