Clark County’s sustainable forestry program will be reducing wildfire fuel at Camp Bonneville by conducting slash pile burns throughout May. Washington’s Department of Natural Resources approved a two-year permit to burn up to 10 slash piles.
Timber harvesting generates woody debris, known as slash. Slash is disposed of to reduce available fire fuel and to clear an area for restoration planting. Slash piles are burned when the adjacent forests are moist and fire risk is low.
Burning will not take place if winds exceed 15 mph or the relative humidity is below 30 percent. The county will also stage a charged hose line that can reach all piles, provide a water truck to wet areas around piles, construct fire breaks around each pile, and patrol fires daily until they are completely extinguished.
No more than two piles will be burned simultaneously. Before any burning, the county will notify neighbors, the state, the Southwest Clean Air Agency, Vancouver Fire Department and East County Fire and Rescue.
Signs posted at the entrance to the camp, which is closed to the public, will note burning dates. Burning dates and additional information will be posted at clark.wa.gov/public-works/sustainable-forestry-program.
