Fall pile burning planned on the Bridger-Teton
Slash and wood debris piles from summer forest projects
by Bridger-Teton National Forest
September 24, 2016
With the onset of colder temperatures and wetter conditions fast approaching in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Teton Interagency Fire crews will begin igniting piles of slash and wood debris created from fuels reduction projects, commercial timber sales, and fencing projects in the Big Piney and Pinedale Ranger Districts as early as September 26, 2016.
Piles to be ignited on the Pinedale Ranger District are located in the White Pine Ski Area on Skyline Drive, Sylvan Bay Summer Home Area, Fremont Lake Road, Fremont dump site, Boulder Lake Road, New Fork Lake campground and Boy Scout administrative site, and Elkhart Park. The Big Piney Ranger District piles are located on Bare Pass, Nylander, Kleinstick. This list is not comprehensive and additional areas with piles may be targeted for burning. Smoke will be visible in the vicinity of burning slash piles.
The material to be burned is the result of both timber sales and hazardous fuels reduction projects. These projects were implemented to provide greater defensible space and to lower the wildfire risk to homes and private property in the wildland urban interface. The fuel reduction projects have also created more open areas that will help moderate fire behavior during a wildfire increasing firefighter and public safety.
Slash piles are created by thinning and removing lower limbs from trees, as well as removing dead wood and brush from the forest floor. Firefighters place the slash in tepee-shaped piles and leave them to cure before burning them. Typically, piles are burned the year after they are created.
Teton Interagency Fire crews plan on burning the piles during or after significant moisture to decrease the risk of fire creeping away from ignited piles and to minimize heat produced by piles and effects to trees remaining in fuels treatment areas. Ignitions will cease early in the afternoon each day to allow piles and fuels to burn down prior to evening inversions and reduce smoke impacts to the area. All piles will be monitored until they are declared out.
For more information on prescribed fire, fuels reduction projects and defensible space, visit www.tetonfires.com or call the Pinedale Ranger District at 307-367-4326.
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