Olympic National Forest to Begin Prescribed Fires

Olympia, WA – Fire managers at Olympic National Forest will soon begin their annual schedule of prescribed fire activities on both the Hood Canal and Pacific Ranger Districts.  Prescribed fires are planned ignitions designed with specific objectives in mind.  They are implemented only when environmental conditions such as wind, fuel moisture levels, and relative humidity are favorable.  Safety, for firefighters as well as the public, is the top priority at every prescribed fire.  

This year’s planned ignitions are pile burns designed to reduce hazardous fuels in areas that have experienced recent logging activity.  The fires can begin as early as next week and may continue as late as November this year, depending on local weather conditions.  The fires will be monitored closely by qualified personnel.  Local authorities will be notified prior to ignition and kept informed throughout the burn.  

Residents and visitors may see or smell smoke and glowing embers may be visible at night.  Smoke may settle into lower elevation areas, particularly at night and in the early morning hours, and visitors are advised to use extreme caution at these times since visibility may be impacted.

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Following is a list of the proposed treatments.

Hood Canal Ranger District (east side of the Olympic Peninsula)
Lilly Prescribed Pile Burn - Melbourne Creek, 161 acres, logging slash
Rixon Prescribed Pile Burn - Snow Creek, 77acres, logging slash
Cougar Prescribed Pile Burn - Gold Creek, 3.5 acres, site maintenance
Dennie Ahl Prescribed Pile Burn - Dennie Ahl Hill, 2 acres, site maintenance
Quilcene Administrative Site Prescribed Burn - Village of Quilcene, 1 acre, site maintenance

Pacific Ranger District (west side of the Olympic Peninsula)
Tom Creek Prescribed Pile Burn - Upper Sol Duc River, 3.5 acres, site maintenance
Snider Work Center Prescribed Pile Burn - Sol Duc Valley, 1 acre, site maintenance
Boulder Pit Prescribed Pile Burn - Boulder Creek, 1 acre, site maintenance
Quinault Administrative Site - South Shore Lake Quinault, 1 acre, site maintenance

If you have general questions about fire management or prescribed fire, please contact Donna Nemeth at 360-956-2274.  If you have questions about a specific prescribed fire listed above, please contact Don Svetich at 360-765-2225.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.  For general information on the Olympic National Forest, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic