SMOKE MANAGEMENT
FORECAST AND INSTRUCTIONS
SALEM FORESTRY
WEATHER CENTER
OREGON DEPARTMENT
OF FORESTRY
ISSUED:
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 2:30 PM Sherri Pugh
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We Need Your Feedback!
The Smoke
Management Department is planning to “upgrade” this product so that it more
effectively meets your needs. To assist
us with this project, we are requesting feedback from you!
Below are a few
questions to help you consider what changes would be most beneficial for
you. All ideas are welcome!
Is the “Short-Term
Discussion” useful? What would enhance
it?
Is the “Long-term
Discussion” useful? What would enhance
it?
How could the
“Dispersion” forecast better meet your needs?
Is the “Outlook”
useful? What would enhance it?
Are the “Burning
Instructions” clear and concise? How
could they be improved for your use?
How do you access
the forecast product (i.e., Email; web page; telephone recording)?
We are considering
discontinuing or upgrading the phone recording of the forecast product. Is that something you currently use? Would you use it if you could get your
specific forecast from it faster?
Please Email your
feedback to: Peter.GJ.Parsons@odf.oregon.gov
Thank you!
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1. DISCUSSION AND FORECAST FOR THE WESTERN
OREGON AREA FORECAST ZONES 601-623 and 639
Thursday will have light S flow aloft
and a brief return of upper-level ridging.
Temperatures will warm to well above average though far from record
highs. Winds will be from NNW-NNE on the
coast and more variable inland. Mixing
heights will lower with warmer air aloft.
EXTENDED DISCUSSION
Friday will be dry other
than a few showers for the southern Cascades.
A weak upper-level trough will be offshore with light SW winds
aloft. Temperatures will be well above seasonable
for northern zones and near or just above average in southern zones. Winds will be from W-NW. Mixing heights will be fair to good.
The weakening upper-level
trough moves inland on Saturday. Winds
will be from W-NW with seasonable temperatures.
Mixing heights will improve some though staying fair to good.
Upper-level ridging
returns for Sunday with light NW flow aloft.
Winds will come from NW-NNE, lighter for Cascades zones. Temperatures will again be above
seasonable. Mixing heights will be
mostly good.
2. DISPERSION
THURSDAY
Zone 601, 602,
603, 612 and 615-620 (North and South Coast Range):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 300 ft early rising to 1500 - 2500 ft by late morning.
Transport wind N
to NE at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
2300 - 3300 ft.
Transport wind
NNW to NNE at 8 - 12 mph.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind NW
to N at 4 - 8 mph.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
Zone 605-611, 639
and 616-623 (North and South Cascades):
MORNING
Mixing height
below 300 ft early rising to 1700 - 2700 ft by late morning.
Transport wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
Surface wind
light and variable and controlled by local terrain.
AFTERNOON
Mixing height
2500 - 3500 ft.
Transport wind similar to morning.
Surface wind similar to morning.
EVENING
Mixing height
lowers below 1000 ft.
Transport wind similar to afternoon.
Surface wind similar to afternoon.
OUTLOOK:
FRIDAY
In the Coast
Range mixing height below 1000 ft early rising to 1400 to 2400 ft by late
morning rising to 2000 to 3000 ft during the afternoon. In the Cascades mixing height below 1000 ft
early rising to 2300 to 3300 ft by late morning rising to 3200 to 4200 ft
during the afternoon. Transport wind
light and variable during the morning becoming W to NW at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon. Surface wind light and
variable during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 4 - 8 mph during the
afternoon.
SATURDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising to 2700 to
3700 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind W to NNW at 4 - 8 mph. Surface wind
light and variable during the morning becoming WNW to NNW at 5 - 9 mph during
the afternoon.
SUNDAY
Mixing height
below 1000 ft early rising to 2000 to 3000 ft by late morning rising to 2800 to
3800 ft during the afternoon. Transport
wind N to NE at 4 - 8 mph. Surface wind
light and variable during the morning becoming NNW to NNE at 4 - 8 mph during
the afternoon.
3. BURNING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL ZONES IN THE
WESTERN OREGON AREA
- Valid for burning done Thursday, June 18,
2026.
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Coast Range
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 601 and 612
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind
SSRAs. Higher tonnage is possible south
of Waldport in Zone 612. Call the
forecaster.
Zone 602 and 603
Units should be
600 tons or less, spaced 12 miles apart, and 12 miles from downwind SSRAs. Limit tonnage north of Forest Grove/Hillsboro
or Sheridan/Willamina in Zone 602. Higher
tonnage is possible south of T17S in Zone 603.
Call the forecaster.
Zone 615, 616,
618, 619, and 620
Use standard
guidance matrix. (See section 5 below.)
Avoid burning directly upwind of the North Bend/Coos Bay SSRA.
Cascades
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m. in all zones.***
Zone 605 and 606
Units should be
750 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 607, 608,
639, 617, and 623
Use standard
guidance matrix - see section 5 below.
Ensure adequate distance from downwind SSRAs for smoke to dissipate.
Zone 610 and 611
Units should be
1200 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Zone 616
Units should be
1000 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs. Avoid ignitions north of T24S.
Zone 620 and 622
Units should be
300 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
Siskiyous
***Avoid
ignitions before 10 a.m.***
Units should be
900 tons or less, spaced 8 miles apart, and 10 miles from downwind SSRAs.
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4. SPECIAL NOTES:
The ODF forecast
smoke zones differ from the NWS fire zones and
are available at:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/documents/smoke-forecast-zone-map.pdf
Call the smoke management duty forecaster
at (503) 945-7401 to
discuss burning. Please do not call individual's numbers to
discuss daily burning. If the forecaster is
not available,
leave a message and they will return your
call as soon as possible.
Avoid calling between 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
The forecast is available on the Internet
at:
http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/
Daily/smi.htm
Please ensure your units have been planned
and accomplished by
checking:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Burn.aspx
A map of planned and/or accomplished burns
is located at:
http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html
?id=a7e321dc8fc444b7a33fbc67bc673a3b
The forecast/instruction telephone
recording is: (503) 945-7400.
To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the
email list for this
product, please go to the link:
http://weather.smkmgt.com/mailman/listinfo/
5. STANDARD GUIDANCE MATRIX:
* Greater than 5000 ft mixing height: Limit
to 150 tons per mile
from downwind SSRAs. Example: 75 tons
allowed if burned a half
mile from a downwind SSRA.
* 3000 - 5000 ft mixing height: Limit to 50
tons per mile if burning
within 5 miles of downwind SSRAs. Limit to
100 tons per mile if
burning 5 miles or beyond downwind SSRAs.
Example #1: 200 tons allowed if burned 4
miles from a downwind SSRA.
Example #2: 500 tons allowed if burned 5
miles from a downwind SSRA.
* Less than 3000 ft mixing height: No burning
within 5 miles of
downwind SSRAs. Limit to 60 tons per mile
from downwind SSRAs.
Example: 300 tons allowed if burned 5 miles
from a downwind SSRA.
* Ensure adequate spacing between units when
burning near downwind
SSRAs.
* Use of polyethylene (PE) sheeting on
greater than 75 percent of
piles in a unit with 60 percent coverage
per pile will allow a
50 percent increase in tonnage over the
existing instruction tonnage
for that zone.
* All exceptions must be coordinated with the
duty forecaster
prior to ignition.
6. BURN MONITORING:
Burns over 2000 tons must be monitored (OAR
629-048-0230(3) -
7/1/14). Monitoring of all burns is highly
recommended for both
smoke management purposes and wildfire
potential.