Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Updated Prescribed Fires

Baker City, Ore, (May 8, 2025)— Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations this month. We estimate this work to continue through the spring as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has developed a prescribed fire interactive map displaying planned burning activities. The interactive map allows the user to zoom in on specific areas and click on a burn unit for more information (such as acreage, status, etc.). When burning operations begin, the interactive map will be updated to display which burn units are actively burning.

This week planned prescribed unit:

Wallowa Mountain Ranger District:

• Starvation 7A, located in the Lower Joseph project Area off the 460/4605 Forest Service Road on Miller Ridge near Roberts Butte.

Those areas may close 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 www.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, Blue Mountains Prescribed Fire Council Blog: https://bluemtnprescribedfire.blogspot.com/ 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.