This time of year, Cle Elum Ridge in the Central Cascades Forest is a winter wonderland, complete with soaring trees, dusted or even drooping with the weight of snow. It’s here that The Nature Conservancy and local partners are working to restore the forest for both nature and the benefit of the nearby communities that live on and use these lands for recreation. Restoration at this scale requires a piecemeal approach that utilizes tree thinning, prescribed burns, and the latest endeavor—pile burns.
What is a pile burn? It’s a prescribed fire technique where discarded vegetation that is often too big and cumbersome to toss in a yard waste bin or relocate is burned. And the safest time of year to do so is winter when the snow and frequent storms will prevent fire from spreading.
TNC staff after successfully starting the first pile burn on Cle Elum Ridge. Credit: TNC
TNC Washington’s new Cooperative Fire Director, Sami Schinnell, led the burn to remove leftover debris from tree mastication (turning small trees into mulch) and thinning in the fall. Although pile burns were identified in the Cle Elum restoration plan, this was the first time the technique was applied. The goal: burn the piles so at least 80 percent of the material is removed, reducing possible fuels for a forest fire.
Working on a prescribed fire of any kind requires the proper gear and clothes. Credit: TNC/Erica Simek Sloniker
Donning hard hats, gloves, and natural-fiber fire-safe clothes, the team arrives to the first pile, carrying shovels and fuel.
In this case, the word ‘pile’ seems like an understatement when faced with a 20ft by 20 ft mountain of snow with only a branch sticking out here or there to indicate something is hidden underneath. Starting at a small opening in the snow, the team digs until there is enough exposed, dry vegetation. Then, using a drip torch—a canister of fuel with an ignited tip—begin to burn the branches and pine needles until the fire sustains itself.
Prescribed fire practitioner and TNC’s Washington Central Cascades Conservation Coordinator, Tonya Morrey uses a drip torch to ignite dried vegetation underneath the snow. Credit: Emily Heber/TNC
Since the piles and surrounding forest are blanketed with snow, there isn’t a significant concern that the fire will spread. Instead, the primary concern is the smoke, which while much less than if a wildfire were nearby, can be a cause for concern for nearby communities. Luckily, although the piles each start with billowing clouds of white smoke, as the fire grows the smoke lessens and eventually gives way to a sustained, clean-burning fire.
When the evening came, the team was thrilled to have six piles burning with only a little bit of smoke visible from Cle Elum. And the winter storm arriving that night was certain to knock them out and prevent the smoke from lingering in town.
