Oregon Public Broadcasting

Residents in central Oregon could see some smoke in the air this week.

Fire crews plan to burn 1,500 acres in five different areas including around Bend and Sisters.

Virginia Gibbons, with Central Oregon Fire Management Services, says that might seem like a lot especially for people affected by smoke.

Virginia Gibbons: "But really when you think about how many acres we're managing Central Oregon wide on public lands, it's literally a drop in the bucket."

Gibbons says the burns planned this week are tiny compared to the nearly 30,000 acres crews plan to target this year. Because last month was unusually wet, she says fire officials might fall short of that goal.

Deschutes National Forrest and Prineville Bureau of Land Management are conducting the burns to get rid of hazardous fuels that feed summer wildfires.