News Release: Pile burning taking place on the Willamette National Forest

Springfield, Ore., Oct. 16, 2023— Pile burning is underway on the Willamette National Forest due to the cool, damp fall weather. Throughout the fall, trained firefighting personnel will ignite the slash piles while fire danger is low and monitor them to ensure fire does not spread outside the immediate vicinity.

Burning will be weather-dependent and only occur if conditions are deemed ideal by firefighters. Restoration projects, vegetation management, noxious weed removal, and other brush clearing activities generated the slash piles. Burning is one of the most effective ways to remove non-merchantable woody debris from the forest before it becomes a hazardous fuel in the dry summer months.

Pile burning operations are anticipated on all four ranger districts this week:

• Detroit Ranger District: Burning planned Oct. 16-19. Piles located near Detroit Lake on Highway 22, Forest Service Road (FR) 46, and FSR 10. Smoke may be visible from Highway 22, FR 46, and Stahlman Summer Homes.
• Sweet Home Ranger District: Burning planned Oct. 16-19. Piles located approximately three miles west of Tidbits Mountain. Smoke may be visible from Owl Creek Road, FR 2027, and FR 2026.
• McKenzie River Ranger District: Burning planned Oct. 16-19. Piles located along FR 19, near Highway 126 at milepost 54, and near East King Road. Smoke may be visible from McKenzie Bridge, Rainbow, and FS 19.
• Middle Fork Ranger District: Burning planned Oct. 16-17. Piles located northeast of Oakridge in the Dead Mountain area. Smoke may be visible from Oakridge and Westfir.

 

Smoke may be visible from nearby trails, roadways, and waterways while the burns are in progress. Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal, and no area closures are anticipated. If unsure whether smoke or a fire is from a planned pile burn, people can contact their local fire department, county emergency services, or a nearby Willamette National Forest Ranger Station. Firefighter and public safety are always the top priority during any burning events.

For more information on future prescribed fire and pile burning operations, visit the alerts section on our website at www.fs.usda.gov/willamette or follow the Forest on Facebook and X, formally known as Twitter, @willametteNF for more updates.