Controlled burns scheduled for two south Thurston wildlife areas on Monday
Residents near Tenino and Rochester may see smoke from controlled fires at nearby wildlife areas on Monday, Aug. 30.
The controlled burns will affect small areas, ranging from one to 10 acres within the Scatter Creek and West Rocky Prairie Wildlife Area Units, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
With these fires, the department aims to maintain native grassland habitats and control invasive weeds before seeding and planting native species, said Darric Lowery, WDFW wildlife area manager in a news release.
“Portions of the wildlife areas may be closed during the burns, and people may see smoke from the fires for one to two hours after the burns,” Lowery said. “We will be working to minimize smoke impacts to homes and the surrounding community.”
Wildfires remain a concern throughout Washington state where the threat remains high to extreme in some areas, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
WDFW conducts controlled fires with profession fire crews and the cooperation of the DNR, fire districts and other local partners.
The Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Unit is located east of Rochester and north of Grand Mound, about 15 miles south of Olympia. This 1,079-acre area has a unique south Puget Sound Prairie ecosystem with riparian and forest habitats, per WDFW.
The 810-acre West Rocky Prairie Wildlife Area Unit can be found two miles northwest of Tenino. In addition to riparian and forest habitats, this area supports wetland habitats.
These westside prairies have been reduced to less than 3 percent of their original area, according to WDFW, and are home to rare plants and animals. Some of these animals are even listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, per the release.
