Controlled burns stop traffic

For the first time in recent memory, smoke from a Forest Service controlled burn became so dense on Thursday, April 5, that traffic was stopped along Highway 20.

The Forest Service stopped traffic in both directions with emergency vehicles and flaggers three miles west of Sisters, and pilot cars were used for several hours to permit one-way traffic.

According to Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District, the sort of smoke that developed was to be expected, given the conditions that were selected for the burn.

"We tried to work within the weather forecast," Rapp said. "We're trying to time these prescribed burns to limit smoke impact, so we could get good mixing winds."

Rapp explained that mixing winds cause initial swirling at the site of the burn, but the smoke dissipates rapidly.

Therefore, the conditions experienced were not unexpected.

The goal, he said, was to avoid burning during an air inversion when the smoke would persist for a long time in stagnant air.

The scheduled "underburn," which burned under the forest canopy to consume excessive combustible forest materials, took place on a 44- acre parcel at the corner of Highway 20 and the Cold Springs Cutoff road southwest of the highway.

Another 20-acre burn closer to town raised some eyebrows among residents unaccustomed to the dynamics of controlled burns.

One observer told The Nugget that the fire had "gotten away" and was threatening the Ponderosa Motel at the west edge of town.

Closer investigation, however, revealed that the burn -- along the "100" road linking North Pine Street and Highway 20 -- was progressing exactly as planned.

Shane Robsow who was monitoring the fire, looked a little stunned at the notion that the fire got out of control.

"No, everything went really well," he said. "Just a routine underburn."

The 20-acre piece was burned in two parcels, half on Wednesday and half on Thursday.

As the fire wound down, only a few pitchy logs and stumps were still burning.

Rapp said that part of the reason for the timing of the burns was an erroneous prediction of a three inch snowfall in the area on Friday.

The winds and other conditions proved favorable, however.

Burning will continue, as conditions permit. and at press time Rapp was planning to continue burning, moving on to the "canal project" south of town.

Part of that project was already burned about three weeks ago.

The Forest Service seeks to eliminate dangerous buildups of combustible forest materials near population centers, and Sisters is one of the areas targeted for the fuels reduction program.