THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY

There are three phases of recovery following wildfires on federal lands:

• Fire Suppression Repair

• Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)

• Long-Term Recovery and Restoration

• Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts.

• Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first post-fire damaging events. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: mulching, seeding, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; prevent the spread of noxious weeds, and protect critical cultural resources.

• Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity and fuel moisture to continue prescribed fire operations. 

Emigrant Creek Ranger District plans to begin work on pile burning starting the week of November 9.  Areas of planned work include, Wolf, Jane, UP, Marshall Devine and Dove.  Burning of landing piles will occur in the Upper Pine and Wolf project areas. 

Prairie City Ranger District will finish up needed work in the Elk 16 FA unit and begin pile burning in units within the Elk 16 (Bugle), Summit, and Dads project areas during the week of November 9.

Blue Mountain Ranger District plan to continue pile burning along the 18 Rd area, Soda Bear (Sugar), and Galena (Hunt and Twin) project areas. 

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed. Please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Although unlikely, smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead. For their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity.  Until we receive additional precipitation on the burns, forest visitors can expect to see smoke in the vicinity of the burn units. Logs and larger fuels will continue to smolder until that precipitation occurs.

The public can monitor smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/, or by visiting the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map. 

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to continue prescribed fire operations. 

Since beginning ignitions Monday, November 2, Emigrant Creek Ranger District successfully completed 3200 acres of planned prescribed landscape burning, including 2800 acres of aerial ignitions in the George unit. Resources will continue to patrol and monitor the area.

Prairie City Ranger District successfully completed approximately 970 acres of prescribed landscape burning in the Elk 16 FA unit this week.  Resources will continue to patrol and monitor the area. 

All 3 districts may begin burning piles on November 9.  All burning is weather and condition dependent. 

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed. Please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Although unlikely, smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead. For their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity.  Until we receive additional precipitation on the burns, forest visitors can expect to see smoke in vicinity of the burn units. Logs and larger fuels will continue to smolder until that precipitation occurs.

The public can monitor smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/, or by visiting the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map. 

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to continue prescribed fire operations.

Blue Mountain Ranger District may continue pile burning the week of November 2. 

Emigrant Creek Ranger District may begin landscape burning in the George unit, up to 3000 acres, Monday, November 2.  

Prairie City Ranger District will finish landscape burning in Elk 16 L1 unit today, October 30.   Monday, November 2, crews will begin landscape burning in Elk 16 FA unit, approximately 940 acres.  Monday crews will begin blacklining (creating a boundary with fire) the burn area.  Ignitions using aerial resources are planned to begin, Tuesday, November 3. 

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed, please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead, for their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. 

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/ or by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map. 

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to continue prescribed fire operations.

Blue Mountain Ranger District may begin landscape burning approximately 143 today, Wednesday, October 28. The work will take place in the Starr project area, Unit 22 north of Bear Valley. 

Prairie City Ranger District may begin landscape burning approximately 200 acres, Thursday, October 29.  The work will take place in the Elk 16 project area.

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed, please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead, for their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. 

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/ or by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map.

For further information on the Malheur National Forest, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur or call the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000.

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to continue prescribed fire operations.

Blue Mountain Ranger District will begin burning hand pile units in the upper Camp Creek and Sulphur Creek project areas today and tomorrow. 

Prairie City Ranger District may continue burning piles in the Elk 16 project area, hand piles near the North Fork Malheur River and Grapple piles from Short Creek Guard Station to the Crane Prairie Guard Station starting today. 

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed, please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead, for their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. 

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/ or by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map.

For further information on the Malheur National Forest, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur or call the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000.

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to start prescribed fire operations progress into the next week.

Prairie City Ranger District completed 186 acres on Summit 5, Friday with continued patrol through the weekend.  The district may begin ignitions on Summit 4, approximately 1500 acres and possibly Elk 16 L, up to approximately 491 acres, on Tuesday, October 20, weather and conditions permitting,

Emigrant Creek Ranger District may be starting some pile burning work in the Tarzan, Jane and Silvies project areas starting Thursday, October 22, weather and conditions permitting.

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed, please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead, for their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. 

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/ or by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map.

For further information on the Malheur National Forest, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur or call the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000.

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, OR. – After carefully monitoring conditions across the Forest, fire officials have determined that conditions are within specific parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture to start prescribed fire operations progress into the next week.

Prairie City Ranger District, will begin ignitions on Summit 5 approximately 200 acres, on Friday, October 16, weather and conditions permitting,

For the safety of firefighters and the public, roads and areas of prescribed fire activity will be signed, please avoid these areas so as not to interfere with ongoing operations.  For safety, roads, trails, and areas may need to close temporarily as firefighter operations are taking place. Smoky conditions may also reduce visibility to a level that would require additional temporary closures. During prescribed fire operations, there is potential for impacts to camping and hunting. Hunters are advised to plan ahead, for their safety they should not camp in or near an area of prescribed fire activity. 

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/ or by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects Map.

For further information on the Malheur National Forest, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur or call the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000.

Utilizing prescribed fire can protect communities and other values, improve habitat, and restore ecological balance to landscapes by reducing vegetation buildup on the landscape.

JOHN DAY, PRAIRIE CITY, and HINES, OR. – Due to favorable weather conditions, the Malheur National Forest may begin Fall Prescribed Burning beginning Wednesday, October 14th, 2020.

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. It is only conducted when factors such as resource availability, air quality, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and fuel moisture levels are ideal. All burns are done under carefully planned prescriptions and protocols to eliminate the risk of an escaped fire and smoke exposure to communities.

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.

Burning may take place at:

• Summit 5 is approx. 350 acres. South East of Logan Valley. T16s, R34E, Section 31. North of the NFS road 1647.

• Starr units 31, 32, 33 Approx. 1435 acres. South side of the National Forest System (NFS) road 24 and north of the NFS road 2400071, 9 miles west of Seneca. T16S, R30E, sec 29, 30 & T16S, R29E, sec 24,25

• Starr units 6, 7, approx. 400 acres south of the NFS road 4920333 west of Highway (Hwy) 395. T15S, R30E sec 25

• Soda Bear Unit 4 and 4a approx. 700 acres. East of Hwy. 395 and east on the NFS road 3925 to junction of NFS road 3925 and NFS road 3925297.

• George unit 103, east of the NFS road 250 approx. 3000 acres. T20E, R25S, sec 21, 22, 28, 31, 33, 34, 35. North of NFS road 4545, west of NFS road 4540.

• Silvies unit 7 approx. 3400 acres. T20E, R31S, sec 4, 5, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 & T19E, R31S, sec 32 and 33. North of the NFS road 3110, west of the NFS 31.  

• MD B, approx., 900 acres. T20S, R31E, sec 23,24,26,27. East of Hwy 395, north of NFS road 2820, west of the NFS road 532.

• Summit 4, approx. 1500 acres. South of Logan Valley, T17s, R 33.5E, between Summit Creek and the Malheur River, off of NFS road 1647.

• Elk 16 L1, 491 acres. T16s, R35E, section 21. South of the NFS road 16, east of Halfway Creek.

   

Since prescribed burn operations are planned in advance, they have critical safety components in place and are carefully designed to occur within a combination of natural and constructed control lines. In 2020, we have increased coordination measures regarding COVID-19 mitigation.

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations the public can monitor our smoke and air quality and across the state by visiting: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com and Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/,

Facebook @MalheurNationalForest, Twitter @MalheurNF,

For more information please call: 541-575-3000

For current Public Use Restrictions and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels call: 541-575-3113

John Day, Prairie City and Hines, Ore. – The Malheur National Forest Fire Staff realize that prescribed burning is an essential part of fuels management in the Pacific Northwest. The region is moving forward with lifting the regional prescribed burning pause with some increased coordination requirements. For prescribed burning, the Regional Fire Team is authorizing Forest Supervisors to approve prescribed burns within their respective Forest Service units.

Locally, the District Fuels Specialists will be completing risk assessments for broadcast, understory, or jackpot burns and having conversations with District Rangers (Agency Administrators) to ensure that all understand the risks and rewards and are all operating under the same vision. We’ll have increased coordination with the Regional Fuels group, our state partners, and local health officials to address any COVID concerns.  Forest Fire leadership will also be working with our forest neighbors to be as efficient and least impactful to the public as we can while still implementing prescribed burning under the right conditions.

Malheur Forest Fire Staff will be addressing many of these details over the next few weeks to month, depending on how long this fire season continues. We recognize we’re still in the thick of supporting our neighbors across the Pacific Northwest and California as fire season lingers.  This will be taken into consideration while continuing to take care of each other through this challenging September.  

With the potential for smoke to settle in certain areas during active operations, the public can monitor the smoke and air quality in our area and across the state by visiting, http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Additional information regarding prescribed burning on the Malheur National Forest is available by viewing the USFS R6 Tri-Forest Prescribed Fire Projects map, by visiting https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7216/, or calling the Supervisor’s Office at 541-575-3000, or www.fs.usda.gov/malheur.