BLM plans prescription fires north of Lava

A wet weather forecast has prompted the Idaho Falls District Bureau of Land Management to proceed with a planned prescription fire this week.

Firefighters plan to burn slash piles in the Crystal Springs area, about 1.5 miles north of Lava Hot Springs on Wednesday.

The project is aimed at breaking up continuous juniper stands to reduce the severity of potential fire in that wildland urban interface area, where public lands meet urban development.

Burn plans consider safety, specific fuel and weather prescriptions. Smoke management is also considered. The fires will only be ignited if those conditions are favorable.

Each collected slash pile in the 25-acre area will be ignited individually.

Fire managers encourage the public to steer clear of the area and comply with any closures that might be put into place during the burning operations.