Fire smoke may soon cause problems east of the Cascades but this time it's on purpose.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be starting controlled burns on department land in five Eastern Washington counties to reduce the risk of wildfires next summer and enhance wildlife habitat. The burns will take place later this month or in early October.
The burn zones will range from grasslands to Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir areas thinned by logging and full of debris and slash. The debris and slash can easily blow up into a wildfire in the summer season.
By burning it now, WDFW said to takes fuel away from potential wildfires later. The department said the controlled burns will not prevent fires but will reduce their intensity.
“By burning off accumulations of natural vegetation and logging debris, we can reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfires that can destroy wildlife habitat,” said Matt Eberlein, WDFW prescribed fire manager in a news release.