Spring prescribed burning will begin on the Tonasket Ranger District in early April and will continue through the end of May.
     Approximately 2,000 acres are planned for burning with nearly half of the acreage in the Sneed Mountain area. Other areas where prescribed burning may occur this spring include: Bailey and Burge Mountain, east of Tonasket, and the south fork of Salmon Creek drainage, southwest of Conconully.
     “Reducing the intensity of fire in the National Forest and adjacent lands is our main objective”, said Duane VanWoert, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Tonasket Ranger District. “By removing fuels that have built up on the forest floor over many years, we are reducing the risk of catastrophic fires occurring.” He also adds that fire is an important tool for overall Forest health.
     The method of prescribed burning depends on the area being treated and the desired outcome.
     Sneed, for example, may have some units treated through aerial ignition in order to reduce the duration of smoke in the air. Other treatment methods include handpiling brush then burning those piles, and ignition by firefighters carrying drip-torches.
     Preparation for burning varies depending on the treatment method, but where needed, crews will lay hose and build containment lines before ignition takes place. They will also be briefed on safe practices and the objectives for the project area.
     The Forest Service works very closely with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to monitor and evaluate conditions and regional air quality. Daily requests to burn are approved by the DNR with additional on-site evaluation by Forest Service officials.
     “There are a number of criteria that must be met prior to ignition”, said VanWoert. “Smoke dispersal and minimizing impacts from smoke are some of our primary concerns. Monitoring weather conditions, long term forecasts, forest fuel moistures, and neighboring prescribed fire activity are all part of the evaluation process.”
     For more information about prescribed burning activity on the Tonasket Ranger District, please call Duane VanWoert at 509-486-5150.