County approves Bend smoke‑management annual report as prescribed burning continues in West Bend area

Deschutes County commissioners on Jan. 28 approved the 2025 annual report for the Bend Smoke Sensitive Receptor Area (SSRA), a required submission to maintain a state exemption under Oregon’s smoke management rules that allows prescribed burning when certain community protections and notifications are in place.

Will Groves (planning manager), Sarah Worthington (regional climate and health coordinator) and partners summarized the county’s work: the Deschutes National Forest completed roughly 3,500 acres of understory prescribed burning across 27 operations in 2025, about 694 acres of which were in the West Bend project area. Staff documented outreach and health‑protection communications to vulnerable populations, coordination with state and federal agencies, and operational lessons learned from the prior pilot. The report recorded one smoke intrusion in the Bend SSRA associated with a 113‑acre burn on June 2–3 and summarized hourly monitor spikes tied to late‑night atmospheric mixing conditions.

Public‑health context: the county described planned burning as a short‑duration activity that can be mitigated when coordinated, contrasted with wildfire smoke which tends to be more severe and longer lasting. "Spring is the best time to get smoke ready," said Sarah Worthington, noting the county’s emphasis on awareness campaigns and distribution of resources such as air purifiers and outreach to community partners.

The board voted to approve the report for submission to Oregon agencies to maintain the SSRA exemption and to continue the collaborative work to balance fuel‑reduction and public‑health protections.

Sources: staff presentation and the 2025 community response annual report for Bend SSRA (Deschutes County Planning and Public Health presentations, Jan. 28).