WDFW plans prescribed burns in Okanogan County this fall

OKANOGAN COUNTY — Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) managed lands in Okanogan County will see prescribed burns throughout fall as weather, fuel, moisture, air quality and other conditions allow.

The agency plans to perform prescribed burns in the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, including approximately 100 acres on the Carter Mountain Unit, six miles southwest of Tonasket, and approximately 40 acres on the Driscoll Island Unit, one mile south of Oroville. WDFW also plans to address 90 acres of the Golden Doe Unit of the Methow Wildlife Area, located four miles south of Twisp.

WDFW says the timing and duration of all burns depends on conditions, but they are expected to occur between mid-October and late November. However, operations may be postponed if the conditions are unsafe for burning within that window.

According to the agency, the prescribed fire is part of forest and habitat management, helping to reduce invasive vegetation, improve wildlife habitat, and promote the growth of native plants. At Driscoll Island, crews may control burn accumulated woody debris across designated areas. At the Carter Unit, crews plan to use broadcast burning to treat invasive vegetation and support native vegetation recovery.

The agency says wildfire prevention activities, such as prescribed fire, have proven effective at reducing the ignition, intensity, and spread of wildfire, as demonstrated during the recent Sinlahekin Wildfire.

The burns at the Carter Mountain and Golden Doe units are funded in part by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to restore shrubsteppe and enhance wildlife passage in these areas, according to WDFW.

“Current funding is not sufficient to maintain decades of investment in healthy ecosystems and the public benefits that they provide: protecting communities from intense wildfires; enhancing ecosystems and species; reducing wildfire damage costs; and supporting local communities and economies,” said Cynthia Wilkerson, deputy wildlife program manager for WDFW.

The 2025-27 enacted budget dedicated to maintaining forest management, fuel reduction, and ecological health of these lands reduced previous funding from $6 million per biennium to $1.2 million, according to WDFW. Following the record 2026 wildfire season, WDFW says it is seeking restoration of $4.8M per biennium to implement this type of work.

“Prescribed fire is often used after other forest management work has reduced fire-fuel levels,” said Matt Eberlein, prescribed fire program manager for WDFW. “It improves and maintains wildlife habitat and ecosystem health and resiliency by regenerating important plant species, including native grasses and brush favored by deer, elk, and moose. It also improves access for hunters and others using these natural areas for outdoor recreation.”

WDFW warns that smoke from the burns may be visible in the surrounding valleys, Highway 97 and in nearby communities. However, it is lower in volume and shorter in duration than smoke from a wildfire.

Information on burns and additional resources can be found on the Central Washington Initiative Smoke Pilot project. The collaborative federal-state program is designed to increase the use of prescribed fire for forest health and wildfire reduction while actively monitoring, modeling, and mitigating smoke impacts. AirNow has information on local air quality and smoke details.