GRANTS PASS – Hand pile burning continues at Dollar Mountain as part of the first phase of the Dollar Mountain Forest Park Fuels project. Fire managers with Grayback Forestry in partnership with the City of Grants Pass will conduct prescribed burns Wednesday, Dec. 18 and Thursday, Dec. 19, in conjunction with Grants Pass Fire and Rescue, and Rural Metro.
The areas of Hieglen Loop and north of Crescent Trailhead will see the most activity during this phase. The public will see smoke in the Dollar mountain area. City Firewise staff will be on site 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hieglen Loop to answer questions about Wildland Interface safety. Pile burning will continue through March 1, 2020, based on local weather, smoke clearance, and fuel conditions.
Precipitation has been light this Fall with some heavy amounts of rain in September. Another two inches of precipitation and changes in air flow approach optimal conditions for implementation of this first phase, said Wendy Giordano, superintendent of Parks and Property Management.
“This November, large fuels (logs, snags, stumps and large green trees) have still been fairly dry. As the next weather systems arrive, fuel moistures will increase and we will begin burn operations on the hills West of Starlite,” said Giordano.
In order to meet future challenges in the most effective way possible, Grayback Forestry, Grants Pass Fire Rescue, Oregon Dept of Forestry, Rural Metro, and Josephine County Emergency Management will continue to use collaborative efforts with prescribed burning as a tool to reduce build-up of hazardous fuels, restore forest ecosystems, and improve resiliency and safety of communities within the wildland urban interface.
For additional information, contact Sean Hendrix of Grayback Forestry: (541)761-0953 or (541)476-0033, ext. 311. Email: sean@graybackforestry.com.
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