WALDPORT – Smell smoke in the air? This time of year it’s likely to be from slash burning from summer logging operations on private lands or in the Siuslaw National Forest.
The onset of cool, damp fall weather is allowing firefighters to initiate pile burning on the national forest, agency officials said in a news release.
Starting Friday and continuing through the spring, the Siuslaw Nation al Forest firefighting personnel will ignite slash piles while fire danger is low and monitor them to ensure fire does not spread outside the immediate vicinity.
Burning will be weather-dependent and only occur if conditions are deemed ideal by firefighters, the news release said.
Restoration projects, vegetation management, noxious weed removal, and other brush clearing activities generated the slash piles. Burning is one of the most effective ways to remove non-merchantable woody debris from the forest before it becomes a hazardous fuel in the dry summer months.
Pile burning operations are planned in the Central Coast Ranger District. Smoke may be visible from nearby trails, roads, and rivers while the burns are in progress.
If unsure whether smoke or a fire is from a planned pile burn, citizens can contact their local fire department, county emergency services or a nearby Siuslaw National Forest Ranger Station. Updates will also be posted on the Siuslaw National Forest Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SiuslawNF/.
