Management
Prescribed burns normally occur in the spring and fall depending upon weather and fuel conditions but can also occur during the winter. Expect light to moderate smoke in areas near prescribed burning operations. Read more about smoke information. Prescribed burns typically do not occur during burn bans.
Planned burns are subject to change without notice due to weather and smoke impact to communities. Fire specialists will cease burning if objectives are not being met.
The best way to find where a prescribed burn is happening in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is to check the following:
- OkaWenNF Facebook
- Interactive Map
- Updates on this page
This week's prescribed fire activity:
Week of December 8, 2025:
Methow Valley Ranger District personnel will be burning eight landing piles in Buttermilk Creek and 20 landing piles in Libby Creek this week.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ or download the app.
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Week of December 1, 2025:
Methow Valley Ranger District personnel will be burning piles located up the Twisp River drainage as well as Libby Creek area on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 4 and 5, if conditions are conducive. Minimal smoke impacts are expected.
Wenatchee River Ranger District crews plan to burn 26 acres of piles in the Skywalker units (see interactive map) located approx. 4 miles north of Leavenworth, WA on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Naches Ranger District personnel will be burning around 300 acres of machine piles in the Little Naches area on Dec. 1, with plans to burn 100 acres of hand piles there later this week.
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Week of November 24, 2025: Pile burning will be occurring only on the Methow Valley Ranger District this week, Monday through Wednesday.
The Methow Valley Ranger District plans to burn around 20 acres of hand piles off Poorman Creek Road approximately 3.5 miles west of Twisp, WA.
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Week of November 17, 2025: Pile burning will continue this week in most districts, if conditions are favorable.
- Methow Valley Ranger District personnel will be burning 100-150 acres of hand piles and landing piles in Libby Creek in the Twisp River drainage and in Cub Creek north of Winthrop. Minimal smoke is anticipated from these burns. UPDATE on Nov. 20: Late this week and next Monday and Tuesday, crews will be burning approx. 100 acres of hand piles in the Newby Creek area about 4 miles west of Twisp.
- Entiat District personnel will be burning handpiles this week--94 acres in the Morical burn unit 3 miles east of Ardenvoir, 13 acres in Crum Canyon 4 miles east of Ardenvoir, and 9 acres in Mud Creek 4 miles northeast of Ardenvoir.
- A total of 150 acres will be burned in two units this week in the Wenatchee River Ranger District—the Skywalker project area 5 miles northeast of Leavenworth and the Canyons project area 3 miles northeast of Leavenworth.
- Cle Elum Ranger District crews will be burning a total of 160 acres this week consisting of hand piles in the Swauk drainage (5 miles south of Cle Elum) and landing piles in the Taneum Creek drainage (18 miles northeast of Cle Elum).
- Naches Ranger District personnel will be burning 100-200 acres of piles near Rimrock Lake (about 25 miles southwest of Naches) on Thursday.
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Week of November 10, 2025: Pile burning will continue next week on multiple districts, if conditions are favorable.
Cle Elum Ranger District will be burning approximately 200 acres of piles in the Swauk Pine project area, 5 miles north of the town of Liberty and approximately, as well as 25 acres of piles in the Taneum project area 15 miles south of Cle Elum.
Methow Valley Ranger District will be burning piles in the Twisp River Drainage. Specifically, Buttermilk, Alder Creek and Poorman Creek areas. Smoke will be visible from Twisp, WA and Twisp may be impacted during the nighttime hours, as smoke typically filters down drainage and settles. If conditions allow, they will also be burning landing piles in the Cub Creek, Buttermilk, 8-Mile, Falls Creek and Libby Creek areas.
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Week of November 3, 2025: Pile burning will continue in four ranger districts.
- Entiat Ranger District will be burning 85 acres of piles in Tillicum.
- Naches Ranger District crews will be cleaning up some skipped piles from last week, no additional acreage planned.
- Wenatchee River Ranger District will be burning in two locations, Chiwawa River Road and Natapoc Ridge, on Monday and Tuesday.
- Methow Valley Ranger District will be conducting pile burns in the Twisp River drainage starting Tuesday, specifically Buttermilk, Alder Creek and Poorman Creek. Smoke will be visible from Twisp, WA. Twisp may be impacted by smoke overnight, as smoke typically filters down drainage.
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Week of October 27, 2025: Pile burning will be occurring on five ranger districts.
- Chelan Ranger District will be burning 50 acres of piles near Oss Peak on Monday. Smoke may be visible from the South Shore of Lake Chelan.
- Cle Elum Ranger District will be burning 50 acres of piles in the Swuak Pine units near Liberty on Monday. On Wednesday and Thursday they plan to burn 200 acres of piles located approximately six miles south of Cle Elum.
- Methow Valley Ranger District crews will continue burning in Libby Creek on Monday and plan to burn up to 150 acres of piles.
- Naches Ranger District crews will continue burning piles in the Little Naches this week. They plan to burn up to 300 acres per day. Smoke may be visible in the Chinook Pass corridor.
- Wenatchee River Ranger District is burning in two locations on Monday. They will be burning up to 200 acres of piles in the Upper Peshastin units, east of Blewett Pass near the summit. Smoke from these piles is likely to be highly visible from the highway. They will also be burning 30 acres of piles in the Plain area. Smoke from those piles may be visible along the Chiwawa Loop Road near Plain and Lake Wenatchee.
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Week of October 20, 2025: Prescribed burning will be occurring on three ranger districts.
- Cle Elum Ranger District will be burning piles in Swuak Pine from October 21-23. They will burn around 50-100 acres per day.
- Naches Ranger District crews will continue burning piles in the Little Naches. They plan to burn 200-250 acres per day. Smoke will be visible within the Little Naches vicinity.
- Methow Valley Ranger District crews will continue burning hand piles in Libby Creek. They plan to burn 100 acres per day. Smoke will be visible from Carlton and Twisp.
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October 16, 2025: Prescribed burning will be occurring on two ranger districts.
- Naches Ranger District crews will be burning piles in the Little Naches area starting October 16th and continuing throughout the fall when weather conditions allow. Planned acreage will be roughly 200 acres per day when burning. Smoke will be visible within the Little Naches vicinity.
- Methow Valley Ranger District crews will be burning hand piles in Libby Creek starting October 16th and continuing into next week, as weather conditions allow. Smoke will be visible from Carlton and Twisp.