See You Next Year!

Even though wildfire season is over, there may still be smoke visible within fire perimeters due to remaining fuels burning down.

Now that we’ve gotten some rain and even snow in some locations, prescribed burn season is upon us!

Rx Burning in Roslyn, Photo C/O Mason Friedman, WA DNR

What is Prescribed Fire?

Prescribed fire is a tool long used on forest ecosystems throughout Washington by Tribes, land management agencies, and conservation groups. These forests, with their fire-adapted plants, historically had low-intensity fires burn through their understories on a regular basis. These low-severity fires reduced the amount of ladder fuels capable of taking fires up into tree canopies, where they spread much more rapidly than at ground level.

A prescribed fire applies low-severity fire to the forest floor in order to reduce built-up vegetation while helping mature trees stay healthy and resilient. Trained fire professionals follow burn plans guided by state and federal regulations to reduce wildfire fuels on the ground, reintroduce vital nutrients into the soil, and restore natural, fire-adapted habitats for wildlife.

Stay informed!

To get more information about where burning is taking place, visit WA DNR’s Burn Portal or, you can now sign up for notifications to learn about when burns are taking place near your location. 

It's also important to note that it's illegal to burn during burn bans. For more information on when and where these are in place, visit the Washington Department of Ecology or your local clean air agency.

The purpose of this blog is to provide information related to wildfire smoke. For more information on prescribed burns and smoke resources, visit: https://dnr.wa.gov/wildfire-resources/smoke-resources

**This is the final post for 2025, but we hope you will bookmark us and return for wildfire smoke updates next summer. We appreciate your interest and feedback. Breathe well Washington!