Prescribed fire (controlled burn) is used to reduce the risk of large catastrophic wildfires and increase public and firefighter safety, as well as, meet a variety of resource management objectives such as; reductions of hazardous fuels, habitat and ecosystem restoration, slash disposal, and maintenance of previously treated areas. Three general types of prescribed fire are pile burning, understory/under burning, and broadcast burning. Clearance to burn must be granted from Smoke Management at Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) prior to ignition. During the months, that prescribed burning occurs a daily smoke management forecast and burning instructions are issued by an air quality forecaster from ODF which is used by the burn boss to help determine optimal burning conditions. Final permission to burn comes from either the smoke management forecast instructions or verbally from the forecaster.

For more information and background on the prescribed burns program at the Oregon/Washington BLM office visit our prescribed burn background information page