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Sunriver, Oregon, October 13, 2026 — On Wednesday, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest plan to conduct prescribed burn operations on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District six miles northwest of Sunriver and 16 miles southwest of Bend near Wanoga Butte. Ignitions are planned for up to 332 acres on the Junction 6 Prescribed Burn unit if conditions are favorable.
Ignitions are slated to begin around 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Firefighters may continue with ignitions on Thursday if conditions are favorable. No road or trail closures are anticipated.
Smoke will be visible from Forest Service Roads 40 and 45, the Cascade Lakes Highway, Sunriver and the surrounding area. Residents along the Deschutes River corridor including La Pine, Sunriver and Bend are encouraged to keep doors and windows closed to minimize smoke impacts. Smoke impacts are most likely overnight and in the early morning hours.
Prescribed burns can protect homes from tragic wildfires. Fire management officials work with Oregon Department of Forestry smoke specialists to plan prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are conducted when weather is most likely to move smoke up and away from our communities. While prescribed fire managers take significant preventive measures, it’s likely that communities may experience some smoke during or immediately after a prescribed burn.
What does this mean for you?
During prescribed burns, smoke may settle in low-lying areas overnight and in the early morning hours.
- All residents are encouraged to close doors and windows at night to avoid smoke impacts.
- If available, use a portable air cleaner. Air cleaners work best running with doors and windows closed. You can also create a DIY air cleaner.
- If you have a central air system, use it to filter air. Use high-efficiency filters if possible.
- When driving in smoky areas, drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and turn air to recirculating.
- If you have heart or lung disease, asthma, or other chronic conditions, pay attention to how you feel and if symptoms of heart or lung disease worsen, consider contacting your health care professional.
- Go to centraloregonfire.org to learn more about smoke safety and prescribed burning in Central Oregon and visit When Smoke is in the Air for more smoke preparedness resources.
For more information on prescribed burning in Central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org/ and for information specific to the Deschutes National Forest visit fs.usda.gov/deschutes. Follow us on X @CentralORFire. Text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed fire text alerts.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology—and rooted in communities—the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with Tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.
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