Smoke rising from the Deschutes National Forest has been a common sight in recent days as wildland firefighters conduct pile burns west of Bend.

The burns were expected to continue Thursday with plans to torch 244 acres of burn piles west of Phil’s Trailhead and south of Skyliners Road.

No road or trail closures are anticipated during the pile burns, which will proceed if conditions are favorable. Smoke may impact the Phil’s Trail area, Ben’s Trail, Kent’s Trail and Forest Road 4610.

Residents living near Phil’s Trail are encouraged to close windows and doors to minimize smoke impacts.

The timing for pile burns is based on moisture levels, weather forecasts and conditions that will move smoke away from communities where possible. Piles may smolder, burn and produce smoke for days after ignition. The Forest Service asks the public not to report the fires.

Piles are burned to remove accumulations of woody debris at a time of year when the spread of wildfire is low. The piles are leftover materials associated with thinning, mowing and other vegetation management work. Additional information on pile burns in the area can be found on centraloregonfire.org.