The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is planning a prescribed fire operation this fall on 35 acres of state trust land located about 6 miles east of Van Zandt. This will be the first broadcast burn on state trust lands in western Washington since the Department of Natural Resources restarted its prescribed program in 2022.

 

Department of Natural Resources staff are preparing to begin operations as soon as Friday, October 6. DNR is committed to conducting all prescribed fires as safely and effectively as possible, which may require postponing a burn on short notice. Members of the public can stay up to date on DNR prescribed fire information by visiting dnr.wa.gov/prescribedfire, and following @wadnr_forests on Twitter.

 

Prescribed fires are a common tool used by land managers and conservation groups to reduce the amount of fuel available for wildfires, improve the health of older trees, support new and current wildlife habitats, and recycle soil nutrients back into the ground.

 

Successful completion of a prescribed fire operation enhances public safety by providing wildland firefighters a safer landscape on which to fight a wildfire. It can also lessen the amount of smoke caused by wildfires due to the reduction of fuels.

 

A recent study completed by DNR scientists found that forest health treatments that included prescribed fire in addition to mechanical thinning of tree stands were more likely to be effective when impacted by a wildfire.

 

The smoke impacts from prescribed fire are minimal and short-lived compared to those caused by wildfire. Burn crews carefully monitor conditions to limit the effects of smoke on nearby residents.

 

Persons and businesses with increased sensitivity to smoke should be prepared to follow the same precautions they would for wildfire smoke. These include limiting physical activity outdoors, closing the fresh-air intake on air circulation systems, and creating a box fan filter. Additional information can be found at the Washington State Department of Health website.

 

The primary objective of this prescribed burn is to reduce the slash and woody debris remaining on the landscape after the completion of a recent timber sale. Pockets of debris as deep as four feet in some places could help fuel a wildfire or attract invasive insects if left untreated.

 

Smoke impacts may reduce visibility on nearby roads, including Middle Fork Road. Smoke may be visible from Mosquito Lake Road and the Porter Creek logging road.

 

Outdoor recreationists and hunters are encouraged to check closure information frequently to ensure the areas they plan to visit are open. All burn areas will have signs posted in advance.

 

Administered by Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, DNR manages more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural, conservation, and aquatic lands. Of these, more than half are held in trust to produce income to support public schools and other essential services. State trust lands managed by DNR provide other public benefits, including outdoor recreation, habitat for native fish and wildlife, and watersheds for clean water.

 

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Communications Consultant

360-902-1000

dnrnews@dnr.wa.gov