Firefighters across Oregon's national forests are taking advantage of favorable spring weather windows to conduct a series of prescribed burns — carefully planned, controlled fires designed to reduce the accumulation of fuels that drive catastrophic wildfires later in the season.
The Deschutes National Forest announced active prescribed burning operations on multiple ranger districts during the week of May 5, with ignitions planned across the Bend-Fort Rock, Crescent, and Sisters Ranger Districts under the right conditions.
Pine Mountain Burn: Up to 2,008 Acres Near Bend
Firefighters on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District were conducting prescribed burning at the Pine Mountain Prescribed Burn Unit, located approximately 14 miles southeast of Bend. The total planned burn area spans up to 2,008 acres, with crews targeting 659 acres for ignition across several days when conditions permitted.
Ignitions were scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on burn days. Smoke from the operation was expected to be highly visible from Highway 20, the city of Bend, and surrounding communities. Residual smoke, particularly overnight and in early morning hours, prompted forest managers to advise residents in the Pine Mountain area to keep doors and windows closed to minimize indoor air quality impacts.
The Pine Mountain area was temporarily closed to public access during burn operations, including closure of Forest Service Road 2017, the Pine Mountain Campground, and dispersed recreation areas. Road and recreation site reopenings were contingent on post-burn safety assessments.
Sisters Ranger District: Burns Near Crossroads Subdivision
On the Sisters Ranger District, firefighters planned 244 acres of ignitions at the SAFR 263/264 Prescribed Burn units, situated three miles west of Sisters and near the Crossroads subdivision. Ignitions were set for 8:30 a.m., with smoke expected to impact Forest Service Road 15 and portions of Highway 242.
Crews advised residents of the Crossroads subdivision to close windows and doors and warned motorists to slow down near burn areas due to personnel working along the roadway.
Rogue River-Siskiyou and Other Forests Also Active
The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has also been conducting prescribed fire operations this spring, with InciWeb listing several completed and ongoing prescribed burn projects across the forest's multiple ranger districts. The Cold Canal 505A prescribed fire in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest area of eastern Oregon reached 653 acres earlier this month, while the Lolo National Forest in neighboring Montana continued prescribed burning operations as well.
Why Prescribed Fire Matters Now
Land managers emphasize that prescribed burns conducted in spring — when conditions are safer and controllable — are among the most cost-effective tools available to reduce catastrophic fire risk in the summer months. Oregon's prescribed burn associations have been gaining momentum, with landowners and ranchers increasingly partnering with agencies to reduce hazardous fuel loads on private and adjacent public lands.
With the 2026 season expected to be severe due to drought and low snowpack, fire managers say completing as many planned prescribed burns as possible this spring is a strategic priority. Every acre treated now is one less acre of uncontrolled fuel available to the next major lightning storm.