Prescribed pile burning scheduled for winter months
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The Pocatello Fire Department will conduct prescribed pile burning operations at multiple sites in early January.
The burns will occur on the East Bench Area around Summit Drive, Granite Drive and McCaleb Drive.
Burning will take place during winter when weather conditions are favorable and should take a few days to conduct. Smoke and flames will be visible during the prescribed fire operations and piles may continue to smolder in days following this operation.
The objective is to reduce hazardous fuels in and around the wildland-urban interface area. Prescribed burning is the final phase of treatment for fuels reduction on the East Bench as part of the Western States Fire Managers Grant the City received.
Burning will be conducted under specific guidelines and plans. This includes having acceptable weather and fuel conditions to meet the objectives for safe and effective burning and adequate smoke dispersal. Since the weather is ever changing, specific dates are not available at this time. Periodic updates can be found on the Pocatello Fire Department’s Facebook page. Fire personal will be onsite during all active fire burning operations.
Officials say do not call 911 to report smoke in the area during these burning operations. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling in this area as intermittent periods of heavy smoke may cause lower visibility and alternate routes should be considered. If you suffer from any respiratory conditions that could be aggravated by smoke, you may consider avoiding being in the area during this time.
