The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is planning a prescribed fire operation on 422 acres of state land near Lake Spokane Campground

 

Staff is preparing for operations as soon as Tuesday, March 25. 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 by signing up for email alerts about upcoming burns.

 

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.

 

Prescribed fire operations enhance public safety by providing wildland firefighters with a safer landscape to fight wildfires. The reduction of fuels from prescribed fires can also lessen the smoke caused by wildfires.

 

The burn unit includes Lake Spokane Campground, part of the Riverside State Park complex. The burn will occur adjacent to Highway 291 and Corkscrew Road. Motorists may experience intermittent lane restrictions on Highway 291 during the burn window.

 

The campground is currently closed to the public for the winter season and will remain closed during burn operations. Members of the public are requested to stay clear of the campground during the burn windows.

 

The smoke impacts from prescribed fires 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.

 

 

 

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Ryan Rodruck

Communications Manager

360-584-3916