Smoke Signals: Prescribed Fire Returning To NCW Forests This Spring

With spring arriving in North Central Washington, residents and visitors might soon notice smoke billowing from the region's forestlands as prescribed burning gets underway for the season.

The U.S. Forest Service says it plans to conduct controlled burns on approximately 6,000 acres of the national forest over the next few months.

Spokesperson Robin DeMario with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest says all of the planned burning operations are weather dependent and a vital tool for maintaining forest health and public safety.

Get our free mobile app

"Prescribed burning is a low intensity, slow ignition of ground fuels like pine needles, leaves, small brush, fallen tree branches, and logs on the forest floor. We not only use low burning, low intensity fire to reduce the quantity of burnable fuels in the forest, we also use it to improve forest health, better protect nearby communities, and help lower the risk of future high-intensity wildfires."

DeMario adds that, along with the weather, there are also other conditions which must be met before any prescribed fire can be initiated.

"Burning conditions include correct temperature, wind, fuel moisture, and ventilation for smoke. When these criteria are met, firefighters then ignite, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets forest health and public safety goals including air quality."

The Forest Service says that if during a prescribed burn, its objectives are not being met or conditions change to being unfavorable for burning, the action will be halted and the blaze fully extinguished.

Officials also stress that one of their primary concerns when prescribed burning occurs is always the wind direction and speed, which ensures that any fire doesn't accidentally spread and minimizes potential smoke impacts on public health.