The Scatter Creek Wildlife Area and West Rocky Prairie Wildlife Area are scheduled to undergo prescribed burns under the supervision of the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Burn operations are weather dependent and will target small areas ranging from 7 to 15 acres. They will take up to five days, sometime between July 10 and mid-October.
The notice for the prescribed burns came in a June 28 news release, a week before the Thurston County issued an outdoor burn ban and the Washington state Department of Natural Resources issued a rule and permit burn ban. The county burn ban started Wednesday just as smoke from various fires worsened air quality in the region.
Bill Kronland, WDFW wildlife area manager, told The Olympian Wednesday that his department will still be ready to begin the prescribed burns on July 10, however they are waiting on clearance from the DNR before going forward.
"We're not going to be doing it this week, because it's very smoky out there," Kronland said. "DNR has put a ban on permit burning that's currently in place. But as we move forward through the summer, we will look at possible exceptions to that, depending on what the conditions are, as far as weather goes."
Kronland said the department uses burns to control invasive weeds and better preserve prairie habitats. Puget lowland prairies are one of Washington's rarest ecosystems, and support several threatened and endangered species.
Professional fire crews will control the two Thurston County burns in hopes of restoring their prairie habitats. Kronland said nearby residents should expect to see closures of wildlife areas and lasting smoke for a couple of hours after the burn.
"We will be working hard to minimize smoke impacts to the surrounding community," Kronland said in a news release.
