National forests prepare for spring burning in the Blue Mountains

As fire management officials prepare for spring burning in the Blue Mountains, the U.S. Forest Service has released an interactive map that tracks planned burns in the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests.

The map shows spring burns are being considered near Little George in Washington and Tiger Creek and Alder Creek in Oregon in the Umatilla National Forest.

The map updates to show when a burn is active or completed.

Prescribed burning is used to reduce the risk of severe wildfire, removing excess brush and trees and encouraging forest growth. Prescribed fire also improves forest health and builds resilience against insects and diseases.

Here are some things to know about spring burning efforts as shared by the Forest Service in a news release:

• Prescribed fire is dependent on weather conditions. Agencies consider wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity and fuel moistures before implementing a prescribed burn.

• Smoke impacts are determined before each burn and monitored for volume, direction and mixing heights.

• All burns are monitored until no heat is found.

The Forest Service works with the Washington Department of National Resources and Oregon Department of Forestry to plan burns and manage smoke impacts.