Umatilla National Forest Prepares for Fall Prescribed Fires

 Fire management officials on the Umatilla National Forests are preparing to implement fall prescribed burning activities to reduce the risk of severe wildfire in the future.

While we have seen our fair share of smoke and fire over the last few months, conducting prescribed fire is critical to reduce the intensity of wildfire and to help protect our communities for the future.  Reduction work done in the upper reaches of Wenatchee Creek and Indian Tom Drainages is a prime example of this as our previous fuels reduction work drastically reduced the rate of  spread and impacts of Cougar Creek Fire this year.

The planning of a prescribed fire involves meticulous care and consideration, especially after an active wildfire season. Umatilla National Forest burns only when objectives can be met, which include creating fire-resilient landscapes and protecting values at risk, like homes, infrastructure, and drinking water.

Fire managers also account for smoke and recent wildfire impacts to the local community prior to burning. Prescribed fire is an important component of natural resource management, in addition to commercial and non-commercial thinning, which also help reduce hazardous fuels around our communities.

Umatilla National Forest works closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington Department of Natural Resources in accordance with the State’s Smoke Management Plans to determine when, where, and how much is burned on a daily basis. Potential smoke impacts, looking at volume of smoke, direction of spread, and mixing heights, are determined prior to each burn.  All burns will be monitored until no heat is found within the unit and fire managers declare the burn out. 

Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential for healthy forests and reducing the risk of high intensity wildfire and an effective tool for removing excessive amounts of brush, shrubs, and trees, while also encouraging the growth of native vegetation. In addition to reducing wildfire risk, prescribed fire also improves overall forest health and resilience to insects and diseases, and enhances habitat for elk, deer, and other wildlife. Forest Service prescribed fire programs allows fire to play its natural role on the landscape under controlled conditions.

Prescribed fires often follow other treatments such as timber sales, thinning, and other forms of fuels management and each prescribed burn represents many years of planning and preparation to ensure burn operations meet prescriptive conditions that allow for successful burns that provide multiple benefits to resources.

Prescribed fire information for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests is available to the public on a tri-forest online map. The map is labeled and color-coded to show each burn unit’s status: planned, active, or completed. Additionally, forest users can view other features including current and past-year burn units, National Forest boundaries and State wildlife management boundaries. 

To learn more about current and planned prescribed fires in the area, please visit:

·         Online prescribed fire map for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests (example image below)

·         Blue Mountain Prescribed Fire Council Blog

·         Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center

·         John Day Interagency Dispatch Center and Burns Interagency Communication Center

Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.

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