Prescribed Burning Ops Halted On Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat’l Forest

All prescribed burning activities on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest have ended for the spring season.

Forest spokesperson, Robin DeMario, says conditions are no longer favorable for conducting any further prescribed fires.

"There's a checklist of things that we must check off to make sure that things are just right for a burn to occur. In some areas, green-up has occurred, which means that the fuels are too green now to burn on the ground and the fire won't carry along the ground and burn up the fuels and debris on the forest floor in an appropriate manner."

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DeMario adds that other conditions related to weather and forest conditions are also no longer acceptable for prescribed burning to continue at this time.

Approximately 5,000 acres of forestlands were subjected to prescribed fire on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest during the spring season.

Although no controlled burns are slated to occur until the beginning of summer, a pair of two-acre live fire exercises are scheduled to take place before the end of spring - one in the Martin Ranch area south of Wenatchee, and the other on the Entiat River Ranger District.

DeMario says the burning operations that did happen this spring will improve forest health and make the areas where they occurred less vulnerable and more resilient to wildfire.