Foresters ignite burns around Sisters

Last Saturday was opening day for the Sisters District's 2008 controlled burning season. People driving down Highway 20, frequenting the gas station store and McDonald's on the northwest end of town might have thought the whole world was going up in flames, what with the smoke and fire just across the road.

According to Lisa Clark, USFS Public Affairs spokesperson stationed at the fire zone, there was no need for fear of burning the town down - the combined efforts of USFS, BLM and State Forestry fire fighters had the burn well under control.

"This is unit 138, part of 118 acres that will be burned" she said, pointing to the smoldering brush in the foreground and flaming understory further away. "This area hasn't seen fire for over 60 years and was ripe for a wildfire, but that's history now."

The prolonged absence of fire in our forests has caused myriad problems for the Forest Service and other forest overseers, which - over the last few years- has resulted in more than enough excitement for Sisters residents in the form of touch-and-go wildfires.

Trevor Miller, Sisters Ranger District Fuels Technician, explained the program's rationale in a statement:

"In an effort to eliminate specific risk from costly wildfires, the Sisters Ranger District is ready to begin its spring burn program. The undertaking consists of diverse controlled underburns aimed at reducing hazardous fuels (mostly brush and woody debris) that contribute to high intensity wildland fires. Such actions will also help to restore natural fire regimes to our fire-dependent forests under controlled conditions."

The underburns have two purposes: to restore fire's natural role in Sisters forests and to minimize the potential of wildland fires spreading from national forest lands to residential areas - a scenario all too familiar to the Sisters area in recent summers.

According to Miller, hazardous fuel reduction treatments consist of small tree thinning, mechanical mowing of decadent shrubs, handling brush, burning of forest debris and controlled underburning.

The decision to burn on Saturday was not a popular one. Many local residents complained about the smoke spoiling the first balmy, sunny day of spring.

But spring is the best burning season. To reduce the irritating problems some people have from smoke inhalation - and the risk of a controlled burn getting out of hand - the Forest Service focuses on underburning in the spring when weather and wind conditions tend to be more favorable.

More burning is on the agenda throughout the season (see related story, page 33).