Thinning activities and prescribed burning will take place from the Methow Valley to Naches

information released

Prescribed burning operations will begin across the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as soon as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow. Forest Service crews plan to use prescribed fire across approximately 16,461 acres on the national forest this spring.

“Prescribed fire and thinning activities are planned across each of the six ranger districts, from the Methow Valley area down to Naches,” said Deputy Fire and Fuels Staff Officer Aaron Rowe. “Due to the recent warmer temperatures, with snow melting off many south facing slopes, we will be able to gain access to our spring prescribed fire units soon.”

Information on Prescribed Fire Activity

For real-time prescribed fire maps and updates, check the forest website, forest social media sites, or listen to the day/week of burn recorded voicemail message:

Smoke Readiness

People can expect to see and smell some smoke during burning operations. Although we manage prescribed fire to minimize smoke impacts, it is important that smoke-sensitive individuals plan ahead and be prepared. Also, use caution when traveling through areas where prescribed burning is occurring as visibility may be reduced due to smoke. For more information on smoke and public health, please visit wasmoke.blogspot.com or airnow.gov/fires.

Locations of Planned Burning

Prescribed burning operations, consisting of mainly underburning projects with some hand pile units, are planned on national forest lands in the following counties.

Okanogan County: (2,159 underburn acres on the Methow Valley Ranger District)

  • Nickel Canyon – 54 acres in the Libby Creek drainage, 5 miles west of Carlton, WA.
  • Upper Rendezvous – 220 acres in the Cub Creek drainage, 7 miles northwest of Winthrop, WA.
  • Mission Creek – 50 acres in the Libby Creek drainage, 5 miles west of Carlton, WA.
  • Elderberry – 354 acres in the Libby Creek drainage, 5 miles west of Carlton, WA.
  • Hornet Draw – 696 acres in the Libby Creek drainage, 5 miles west of Carlton, WA.
  • Smith Canyon – 785 acres in the Libby Creek drainage, 5 miles west of Carlton, WA.

Chelan County: (4,910 underburn acres on the Chelan, Entiat, and Wenatchee River Ranger Districts)

  • 1,299 acres of underburning will occur over multiple days in Forest Johnson units 589, 585, and 125 located 10-12 miles north of Entiat, WA.
  • 106 acres in the EPZ unit located 13 miles northwest of Entiat, WA
  • 1,103 acres in the Gold Ridge unit located 2 miles northwest of Ardenvoir, WA.

— Smoke from the Forest Johnson, EPZ, and Gold Ridge underburns may be visible from Ardenvoir, Entiat River Valley, Entiat, Manson, and Chelan, WA.

  • Bear Mountain area – 219 acres near Navarre Coulee, approx. 7 miles west of Chelan and 4 miles south of Manson, WA.
  • Falls Coyote unit – 539 acres between Falls Creek and Safety Harbor Creek, 21 miles northwest of Chelan, WA.
  • Washington Creek underburn – 594 acres, located 8.5 miles north of Chelan, WA.

— Smoke from the Bear Mountain, Falls Coyote, and Washington Creek burns will be visible from Manson and Chelan, WA. Smoke from the Bear Mountain burn may impact the communities of Chelan and Manson.

  • Beehive Units – 350 acres, located 6 miles southwest of Wenatchee, WA. Smoke will be visible from Wenatchee and possibly impact the Squilchuck Road and Mission Ridge area.
  • Martin Ranch Units 2 and 3 – Up to 700 acres located 4 miles west of Wenatchee near Martin Ranch, WA. Smoke will be visible from Wenatchee. Number 2 Canyon and Stiss Canyon residents may experience some smoke impacts during these operations.

Kittitas County: (7,892 underburn acres on the Cle Elum Ranger District)

  • Walter Springs units – 1,650 acres, 20 miles southeast of Cle Elum, WA. Smoke may be visible within the surrounding area.
  • Swauk Pine Units – 6,242 acres, located on the east side of Highway 97 approx. 15 miles northeast of Cle Elum, WA. Smoke may be visible in the Highway 97 corridor and Liberty community area.

Yakima County: (1,500 underburn acres on the Naches Ranger District).

  • Canteen underburn – 1,500 acres in the Highway 410 corridor approx. 15 miles northwest of Naches, WA. Smoke will be visible from Naches and surrounding communities.

About Prescribed Fire

We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires.

The right conditions for prescribed fire include correct temperature, wind, fuel moisture, and ventilation for smoke. When these criteria are met, firefighters implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets forest health and public safety objectives while following air quality standards. All Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest prescribed burns are weather and prescription dependent and fire specialists will cease burning if objectives are not being met.

Prescribed burns do not occur when burn bans are in effect. If a prescribed burn has begun, and a burn ban is determined, burning operations will cease as soon as possible.