Controlled Burn Wednesday, February 26th: USFS 2060-300 Road Near the Wonder Trail
On Wednesday, February 26th a controlled underburn will be managed by Ashland Forest Resiliency partners. This rare extended warm weather is allowing us to reintroduce mild fire as a critical step to reduce the threat of summer wildfire to our community and water supply.
The controlled burn is located south of the Wonder Trail and below the USFS 2060-300 road (upper Hitt Road) and has a planned beginning time of 11 a.m. Traffic will be heavy at times on the 2060 and 2060-300 roads.
Trails are not closed, but we recommend avoiding the USFS 2060-300 Road and trails that could be smoky on the west side of the watershed (Granite St gate). Trails up Tolman Creek Rd and east of Ashland Creek are a good option, or finish before 11 a.m. on west side trails.
Potential Smoke Impact
Smoke will be highly visible from many parts of Ashland.
No roads or trails will be closed, however, some smoke impacts could occur close to the controlled burn around USFS 2060-300 (upper Hitt Road trail), Wonder Trail, Ricketty and Fell on Knee, No Candies, and Moai.
Smoke sensitive people should avoid the area closest to the controlled burns.
In the evening, light smoke may enter neighborhoods and town along Ashland Creek, the plaza, and all areas down to Bear Creek. Please follow recommendations on smokewiseashland.org for smoke protection, keep windows closed, and stay inside as necessary.
Why We Conduct Burns
A recent article in the Ashland Daily Tidings explains more about why we use controlled burns. See 'Fighting Fire with Fire' for details.
More Information
If you live close to a burn location, keep windows closed and if you smell smoke, follow health recommendations on Smokewise Ashland.
Text-based notifications: text the word "WATERSHED" in the message line to 888777 as the recipient. You will get an auto-confirmation text.
Conditions for burning are good with a weather system that will move smoke away from town. Controlled burns are a critical part of creating a safer, more resilient landscape and community in the face of increasing fire risk due to climate change and overgrown forests. Find out more about why we burn.
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