2025 Spring Prescribed Fire Season By The Numbers:
Total acres burned: 3,493 acres
Bend Fort Rock Ranger District:
Crescent Ranger District:
Sisters Ranger District:
Our forest needs fire! As a fire adapted dry forest ecosystem, the Deschutes National Forest has historically received naturally caused (lightening) low intensity fire every 10-25 years which helps to “clean up” hazardous fuel loads (i.e. tons of pine needles, cones, excessive small brush, excessive tree growth, etc.).
After decades of fire suppression in our fire adapted forest, the forest is extremely overstocked and out of whack. In some places there are 2-3x as many trees as historically was normal! This means trees suffer due to competition of resources and this stress causes them to be an even higher fire risk.
To help the forest thrive and protect Central Oregon towns from catastrophic wildfire, prescribed low intensity fire is being put back on the landscape in extremely controlled and planned ways. Prescribed fire only happens when the temperature, humidity, wind and time is just right. They will never happen if there is a big sporting event happening in town (Pole, Pedal, Paddle, Dirty Half, Triathlons, etc), graduations or other big community events. The fires are continuous monitored throughout the initial ignitions and sometimes for up to 3 weeks post ignitions. Prescribed fire has proven to be the most effective tool in preventing intense, very hot and quick moving wildfire. Check out the photo below which is a great example of how restoration treatments can save our forests and communities!
This photo was taken in the Sycan Marsh down in the Freemont Winema National Forest in Southern Oregon which is a very similar dry pine forest as we have here in Central Oregon. The photo shows zones that were given various stages of restoration before the Bootleg Fire ripped through the forest in 2021. As you can see, the zone that received thinning and controlled burn almost looks like there wasn’t a fire at all! It is a great example of how restoration treatments can save our forests and communities!
