science environment

Prescribed Burn Turns To Wildfire In Central Oregon

By OPB Staff (OPB)
Oct. 1, 2016 5:54 p.m.
Ochoco National Forest in 2011.

Ochoco National Forest in 2011.

Nick Perla/Flickr

A controlled burn that jumped to private land in the Ochoco National Forest grew to more than 1,700 acres Saturday morning.

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Firefighters worked through the night Friday to contain the fire. Estimates indicate it’s 25 percent contained.

The Oregon Department of Forestry says the fire began as a prescribed burn to improve range and forest health within a 333-acre unit in the national forest.

The agency says an unexpected wind event pushed fire north across planned containment lines, resulting in a wildfire.

A portion of the national forest is temporarily closed while fire suppression efforts are underway.

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