Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Forest Service has completed its review of a Central Oregon prescribed fire that went out of control last September and burned over 1800 acres before being contained.  Pete Springer reports.

The Wizard Fire on the Sisters Ranger District was supposed to be a 30-acre prescribed fire. 

But after the fire burned for a day, crews went home after determining an overnight shift was not necessary due to favorable weather and fire behavior.

Fire crews also failed to follow a mop-up plan the day after the fire.

Deputy forest supervisor Mary Farnsworth says there was a prescribed burn plan.

Mary Farnsworth: “Was the plan followed?  Um, no, it wasn’t.  It did not adequately cover the patrolling side of things so the responsibility for prescribed burning in general for the Forest Service on a ranger district lies with the district ranger.” 

However, the report says the firefighter in charge of the fire was on his first assignment as a qualified Prescribed Fire Burn Boss.

The Forest Service will not release his name or say if any disciplinary action will be taken.

The cost of suppressing the escaped fire was $4 million.