Mt. Hood National Forest plans to begin its annual prescribed fire operations on the Barlow Ranger District as early as Thursday.  Firefighters are targeting up to 300 acres for prescribed fire this spring.  Underburning is planned about five miles west of Wamic off Forest Road 48 in the Irrigation burn unit of the Rock Creek prescribed fire project.  For both safety and effectiveness, prescribed fires are carefully planned and only implemented under specific conditions.  Forest staff will evaluate conditions in the hours before a burn begins.  Scheduled burning activities may be postponed or canceled, depending on factors such as weather, fuel moisture, and air quality.  Firefighters will remain on site and continue patrols until the fire is declared out.  Residents or visitors may experience smoke during prescribed burning operations.  The Rock Creek prescribed fire project is part of the Rocky Restoration Project, which aims to improve landscape resilience to disease and fire in addition to improving habitat for the plants, fish, and wildlife species that depend on it.