Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work
BAKER CITY, Ore, (October 7, 2025)— The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations starting October 8, 2025, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work to continue throughout the week as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Prescribed fire units planned:
Deer 123B (339 acres): T9S R37E sec 36, approximately 4 miles east of Sumpter off the Deer Creek Road, Forest Service Road 6550.
The area may be closed to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.