Prescribed Burns Planned in Diamond Lake and Tiller Ranger Districts
Prescribed burns are planned in the Umpqua National Forest’s Diamond Lake and Tiller ranger districts Oct. 2-19, as conditions allow. Work near Thorn Prairie and Long Prairie may produce visible smoke, with access restrictions planned around the Long Prairie burn.
Prescribed burning could begin as soon as Friday, Oct. 2, in parts of the Umpqua National Forest, with work planned in the Diamond Lake and Tiller ranger districts through Oct. 19 as conditions allow.
The Forest Service announced the plans Wednesday. Certified prescribed fire specialists will conduct the burns to reduce excess vegetation and wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and restore ecosystems adapted to fire.
In the Diamond Lake Ranger District, underburning is planned at two Cold Spring project locations:
- Cold Spring Units 32/33: Along National Forest Service Road 3401-200 in Upper Thorn Prairie.
- Cold Spring Unit 121: Along National Forest Service Road 3401-600 in Thorn Prairie.
No closures are planned for the Diamond Lake burns, but visitors should watch for firefighters working in the area.
In the Tiller Ranger District, crews plan to underburn Unit 710 at Long Prairie, along National Forest Service Road 3201-300, west of Threehorn Campground.
A closure around the Long Prairie burn will restrict access for public and firefighter safety. The Forest Service listed closure points at the following road junctions:
- NFSR 32-300.
- NFSR 600-620.
- NFSR 300-330 at Diamond Rock.
- NFSR 1616-205.
Smoke may be visible during the work. The Forest Service said it will coordinate with air quality specialists, monitor smoke, and time the burns to limit smoke impacts. Drivers who encounter smoke on roads should slow down and turn on their headlights. Current air quality information is available at AirNow.gov.
Firefighters will remain on scene during ignitions and patrol afterward. The Forest Service asks people not to report the announced prescribed burns as wildfires.
The schedule remains tentative. Crews will evaluate conditions in the days and hours before each ignition, and burns may be postponed or canceled if conditions are unfavorable.
Maps of the planned burn areas and Long Prairie access restrictions are linked in the Forest Service announcement. Updates will be posted on the Umpqua National Forest website and Facebook page. For more information, call 541-440-4930.
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