Spring Prescribed Burning to Begin on National Forest Land in Okanogan County
Release Date: Apr 11, 2016
Okanogan, WA — Prescribed Fire staff are assessing spring burning conditions on National Forest Lands in Okanogan County. If conditions are favorable, burning may begin in the next two weeks on south-facing slopes in the Fawn and Eightmile Creek drainages near Winthrop, Washington and later this spring in the Burge Mountain area east of Havillah, Washington
Areas planned for either spring or fall burning are shown on a map in the Forest Services’ 2016 Burn Plan. The brochure also describes the reasons for treatment in each of the areas. It was mailed to area residents in March and is available at Forest Service offices throughout the county.
Underburning planned for this spring will reduce slash created by forest thinning, along with natural accumulations of needles and branches. Removing debris reduces the risk of high intensity, or ‘catastrophic’, wildfire. Fires will come eventually to a fire-prone environment. Treated areas also provide options for suppression during wildfires.
“Over the past 13 years and especially over the last two summers, I’ve heard several firefighters comment on how treated areas helped provide safer options for crews and reduced fire severity,” noted Meg Trebon, Assistant Fire Manager for Fuels on the Methow Valley Ranger District. “In some cases, our treatment units created key anchor points that kept fires from growing larger or burning more severely. This translates to better survival of vegetation, fewer severely burned acres, less impacts to habitat, and less smoke in the air during wildfires.”
Prescribed burning is one of many tools that district staff use to implement the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Restoration Strategy. Lower to mid-valley elevation forests are of highest concern for treatment because of proximity to private lands and because these areas have often missed many natural fire return intervals. Forest Service managers began implementing the Restoration Strategy in 1999 to reduce the threat of uncharacteristically severe fires and bring resiliency to unhealthy forest ecosystems.
“Using prescribed fire means creating smoke and requires us to pay close attention to potential impacts to the air,” remarked Trebon. “Ignitions usually occur over one day but in the case of some larger treatment areas, we may request a two-day burn period. This gives us time to carefully bring fire down steep slopes while reducing risks to staff, lowering the chance for escape, and improving tree survival. In the days leading up to ignition, we monitor weather forecasts carefully to find the best conditions that will disperse smoke as rapidly as possible.”
Washington State Department of Natural Resources regulates smoke management and must approve all controlled burns on national forests within the state. Even when DNR staff approve ignition, local district staff may decide against burning if conditions are unfavorable.
To speak with a prescribed fire specialist or obtain updates during the burn season, please call the Districts’ Prescribed burning information lines. Methow Valley’s 24 hour prescribed burning information line is 509-996-4040 and Tonasket’s is 509-486-5158. Ignition updates are also posted on twitter at twitter.com/OkaWenNF