JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Forest officials will look to ‘fire’ Dry Quad in the Toppings Lake area likely this weekend.
Beginning no earlier than May 28, the Blackrock Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest will be moving forward with prescribed burn operations on the Dry Quad prescribed fire unit. This unit is approximately 100 acres near Toppings Lake.
This area had been identified for aspen stand improvement and encroaching conifers within the unit were “slashed” in 2019 and have been drying out in anticipation of this burn. New aspen stands can be regenerated through the removal of competitive species and a large disturbance like fire being introduced. Therefore, fuels and fire managers create “jackpots” of dead and downed conifers to increase heat and disturbance stimulating new aspen growth.
Prescribed fires are managed under a precise set of parameters know as a “prescriptions” which include overall project objectives, temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, current and expected forecast, and fuel conditions, as well as available firefighting resources, and time of season. Before burning, fire managers ensure that all the parameters are within their prescribed fire plan so the operations can be conducted safely, and objectives can be met.
Fire management personnel will utilize both ground and aviation resources to safely conduct this prescribed fire. Smoke will be visible from around the valley and will continue for a few days after ignitions depending on the environmental conditions and the intensity of the burn. Fire managers will be coordinating with Wyoming air quality and will monitor weather conditions closely in the days prior to, and during the prescribe fire ignitions.
Firefighters will continue to work in the area several days after ignitions to patrol and manage for public safety. Local notifications will take place as well as social media postings alerting the public when these the Dry Quad Rx will be implemented.
