NORTH BEND, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin burning slash piles on BLM-managed lands the week of Dec. 9, 2020, and additional burns are planned throughout the winter as the agency supports active timber management and forest health in southwest Oregon. The prescribed burns will occur in a variety of locations on BLM-managed lands in Douglas, Coos and Curry Counties. There are eighteen timber sale units with slash piles that will be burned in the Blue Ridge/Fairview, Dora, Scottsburg/Elkton, and Edson Butte areas. The prescribed burns are typically 100 acres or less, and provide an opportunity for the BLM to reduce abundant fuels left on the ground after forest management activities, thus reducing the risk of future wildfires. In Curry County, the BLM will conduct prescribed burns on nearly 150 acres, as the BLM uses prescribed fire to dispose of tanoak and other vegetation that is infected with Sudden Oak Death. These efforts help slow the spread of the disease. Specific details on where burns will occur in the Coos Bay areas can be found at https://on.doi.gov/2PdoBRJ. Those with questions can also contact the BLM’s Coos Bay District Office at (541) 756-0100. Prescribed fire operations are planned and carried out by qualified agency firefighters. These professionals coordinate with several agencies to ensure the burns occur during appropriate weather and under safe conditions. The agency makes every effort to burn during conditions that minimize the impact of smoke on local residents. After the burns, fire personnel patrol the area to ensure the fire remains under control and is properly extinguished.
