Fall prescribed fire and fuels reduction work

WENATCHEE, WA – October 24, 2022 – The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is getting ready to start prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality become favorable. Burning may begin as soon as this week if areas of planned burns receive enough rain. Pile burning may continue through the winter so long as piles are accessible. Forest Service crews plan to burn piles of forest debris across all six ranger districts and conduct underburning operations on two districts. Smoke will be visible from various places throughout the forest depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions.

Forest staff recently reviewed the prescribed fire program to ensure we are in compliance with recommendations from a national, agency-level program review. Leadership and fire staff participated in these reviews in order to certify that all requirements have been met to resume prescribed burning this fall. Each project follows a prescribed fire burn plan. These burn plans represent many years of analysis and preparation to ensure burn operations meet prescriptive conditions that allow for successful burns that provide multiple resource benefits. The forest adheres to Washington air quality standards and coordinates with Washington State Department of Natural Resources prior to burning to ensure conditions are right to minimize the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities. Potential smoke impacts, looking at volume of smoke, direction of spread, and mixing heights, are determined prior to each burn.

“Plans include underburning, which treats accumulated fuels on the forest floor, as well as burning piles of debris created from a combination of forest thinning and suppression operations from past wildfires,” said Forest Deputy Fire Staff Officer Matt Castle.

“We understand people are tired of smoke in the air. We still have ongoing efforts to restore and improve the resiliency of the forests in and around north central Washington communities. Prescribed fire is the most efficient and effective tool currently used to reduce excess woody debris from forested landscapes. Burning during these conditions ensures that smoke impacts are of short duration and intensity. Burning would not occur if smoke impacts are expected in areas that are not meeting air quality standards due to ongoing wildfire smoke,” Castle said.

An interactive map of the proposed burn areas may be viewed at www.tinyurl.com/harqnw8, and daily updates are recorded and available at 509-966-4040.

All Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest burn projects are weather-dependent and fire specialists will cease burning if objectives are not being met or weather conditions are unfavorable.

The project areas include:

Methow Valley Ranger District

•      Cedar Creek fireline repair piles—4 acres in the Methow Valley corridor at the toe of the slope below Sandy Butte. Smoke will be highly visible, especially from Hwy. 20 and Mazama.

•      Cub Creek fireline repair piles—4 acres in the First Butte and Leroy Creek areas, minimal smoke impacts.

•      French Corner piles—450 acres in the Benson Creek area, minimal smoke impacts.

•      Loupy piles—400 acres in North and South Summit Loup Loup area. Smoke will be highly visible from Hwy. 20 going over Loup Loup.

Chelan Ranger District

•      Falls Coyote piles—106 acres in the Falls-Coyote Creek area. Minimal smoke impacts are expected.

•      25 Mile Fire repair piles—103 acres in the Snowberry Campground, Lone Peak Trailhead, along Road 8410, and Road 5900. Minimal smoke impacts.

•      Summer Blossom piles—73 acres in the Summer Blossom area. Minimal smoke impacts.

•      First Creek piles—61 acres in the First Creek area. Smoke will be highly visible.

Entiat Ranger District

•      Moe-53 underburn—53 acres in the Moe Ridge area 2 miles southwest of Ardenvoir. Smoke will be visible from Ardenvoir and Entiat.

•      Once conditions allow, plans are to burn 50-100 acres of piles per day in Crum Canyon, Mud Creek, and Tillicum areas later these fall.

Cle Elum Ranger District

•      DeRoux piles—10 acres in the North Fork Teanaway area, 15 miles north of Cle Elum. Smoke may be visible from Cle Elum.

•      Walter Springs piles—195 acres in the South Fork Manastash Creek area, 12 miles south of Cle Elum. Smoke will be visible from Cle Elum.

•      Jack/Blue piles—60 acres in the Teanaway Ridge area, 10 miles northeast of Cle Elum. Smoke will be visible from Cle Elum.

•      Liberty Fuels piles—5 acres in Swauk Creek, 16 miles northeast of Cle Elum. Smoke will be visible from Cle Elum.

•      Orion underburn—200 acres, in the Hwy. 97 corridor in the Hovey Creek drainage 13 miles northeast of Cle Elum. Smoke might be visible from Hwy. 97 and between mile posts 155-160.

Naches Ranger District

•      Pile burning—300 acres in the Schneider Springs area. Smoke will be visible from the Nile area.

Wenatchee River Ranger District

•      Upper Peshastin pile burning—800 acres in November if conditions allow.

Follow our Facebook and Twitter profiles at https://www.facebook.com/OkaWenNF and https://twitter.com/OkaWenNF . General forest information can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/okawen/ .

For more information about these projects, contact the appropriate Ranger District office:

Chelan Ranger District: 509-682-4900

Cle Elum Ranger District: 509-852-1100

Entiat Ranger District: 509-784-4700

Methow Valley Ranger District: 509-996-4000

Naches Ranger District: 509-653-1401

Wenatchee River Ranger District: 509-548-2550