Burns Interagency Fire Zine will be conducting prescribed burns

HARNEY COUNTY-May is Wildfire Awareness Month! Part of bring “aware” is being prepared, and part of being prepared is prescribed fire.

As soon as this week, or conditions allow firefighters from the Burns Interagency Fire Zone will conduct a 100 acre burn in the West Silvies Unit. The unit is located on the southwest side of Silvies Valley, just off the 3140 road.

The BIFZ conducts a number of prescribed burns each year, including slash-piles, under burning, and landscape-level burning to reduce fuel loading and the risk of catastrophic large wildfire, to increase forage for livestock and wildlife, and to improve wildlife habitat.

All prescribed burning is done under careful planning and only when factors such as resource availability, air quality, relative humidity, wild speed and directions, and fuel moisture are ideal. Fire operations are designed to occur within a combination of natural and pre-constructed control lines, with specific protocols in place to help eliminate the risk of an escaped fire and smoke exposure to communities.

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