Prescribed burns to begin on Willamette National Forest
Spring has arrived and periods of warmer and somewhat drier conditions are making it possible for Willamette National Forest fire managers to ignite prescribed burns at several locations on the Detroit, McKenzie River and Middle Fork ranger districts.
Some of these controlled burns will likely be visible from the communities of Detroit, McKenzie Bridge, Oakridge and Westfir. For more information and locations, visit http://go.usa.gov/x5zWp.
In a few weeks, there will be a burn on the McKenzie River Ranger District in the Castle Rock Area. The King Castle trail goes by the burn unit. There will be no need to close the trail. Nearby roads and the trail head will be signed on the days of the burning and our social media pages will kept current.
Because the burns are ignited under precise wind and weather conditions; the actual dates of the burns are determined just days prior to ignition. Notifications of the burns will be posted on the Willamette National Forest’s Twitter and Facebook pages, @willamettenf.
Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing health conditions and those who are sensitive to air pollution. For more information about smoke and health, visit the Oregon Health Authority recommendations through this link: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Preparedness/Prepare/Pages/PrepareForWildfire.aspx#health.
Prescribed fire is used to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and to mitigate the severity wildfires. It is also one tool used by fire managers and ecologists to improve forest and rangeland health and protect the quality of our watersheds and wildlife habitat.
Specialists may spend years planning a burn and writing burn plans for prescribed fires. Burn plans identify – or prescribe – the best conditions under which trees and other plants will burn to get the best results safely. They work very closely with wildlife biologists, foresters, hydrologists, and other resource managers, as well as adjacent landowners and interested stakeholders.
