JACKSON, Wyo. — According to the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF), the Blackrock and Jackson ranger districts are planning to begin burning 109 acres of hand piles of limbs and slash in November, and throughout the following months, as weather allows.
According to the BTNF, several piles are within the Teton to Snake Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project area, adjacent to the community west of Jackson near Highway 22. Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is an on-going effort designed to reduce wildfire risk in the “Wildland Urban Interface.” BTNF confirms that the thinning and pile burning treatments will help to establish defensible space around Teton County in the event of future wildfires.
“The fuels reduction activities will also improve wildlife habitat and help to restore and maintain plant diversity within the ecosystem,” BTNF writes.
Other pile locations include the Blackrock Administration Site, Burro Hill, Cottonwood Work Center, Grouse Mountain, Goosewing Guard Station, Shadow Mountain, Granite Hot Springs, Jack Pine, Spread Creek, Flagstaff Road and the Turpin Meadows Ranch groomed ski trails.
Implementation will be dependent on weather conditions and resource availability, BTNF writes, and the pile burning is anticipated to take multiple days to complete. Firefighters will monitor the piles during and after ignition until they are declared out.
“The piles may smolder and burn for several days after ignition, producing smoke,” according to BTNF. “Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal, and efforts will be made to limit smoke impacts to surrounding communities, but the possibility exists for smoke to settle in low-lying areas overnight.”
Residents in areas near burn operations are encouraged to close windows at night to avoid possible smoke impacts. BTNF is asking drivers to slow down and turn on headlights when driving in smoky areas.
The project areas will be clearly marked with signage, and no road closures or delays are currently expected.
