A team of igniters is conducting prescribed burns on a forested ridge in central Washington to protect the town of Roslyn. The community, which was nearly wiped out by a wildfire a few years ago, is using these controlled burns to establish a new model for living with fire.
According to a August 26 report, these efforts aim to reduce the fuel that contributes to catastrophic wildfires.
The prescribed burns are being conducted on land managed by The Nature Conservancy. These operations involve crews from local fire districts and conservation groups working to create a patchwork of burned and thinned areas designed to act as a shield for the community.
Roslyn, a town of 950 residents, ranks in the 99th percentile for wildfire risk nationwide. The urgency for these measures increased after the 2017 Jolly Mountain Fire approached the town during Labor Day weekend. Chris Martin, an emergency management coordinator with the Roslyn Fire Department, stated that the fire's proximity provided a significant wake-up call for local leaders.
The process of prescribed burning is complex and requires significant coordination. For a recent 55-acre burn, approximately 30 people from multiple fire districts, Upper Kittitas County Fuels, and The Nature Conservancy coordinated efforts for two days of burning and an extended monitoring period.
Challenges to these programs include strict clean air regulations, the need for community outreach to address smoke concerns, and the difficulty of coordinating across various private and public land ownerships. Mike Norris, an assistant division manager in the prescribed fire program with the Washington Department of Natural Resources, noted that while the state averages about 20,000 acres of prescribed burns annually, Washington's forests require three to five times that amount to remain healthy.
The results of these burns have shown ecological benefits, including the growth of lush grass and wildflowers beneath charred trees. Roslyn has even designated a Forest Resilience Trail to showcase the scorched landscape as a feature for outdoor recreation.
State leaders hope the work in Roslyn can serve as a model for other Western communities facing similar wildfire threats. Greg Dillon, director of the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire Modeling Institute, noted that private lands between public forests and homes play a critical role in the overall fire risk picture.
