BLM Plans Controlled Burn to Trim Fire Risk in S. Utah

By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News

Firefighters in southern Utah plan to start a controlled fire to create a line of defense against wildfires.

If the weather conditions are just right, the Bureau of Land Management said it plans to begin a prescribed fire today near I-15 just south of Beaver. The area is thick with brush that could threaten the southern Utah community unless firefighters do the burning first.

“You can tell that it’s heavy, dense junipers and pinions,” BLM prevention specialist LaCee Bartholomew said Friday. “It helps.”

The process is called “black lining.” Firefighters will burn along predetermined boundaries to create defensible space and fire- containment lines.

“We’ve already got that black, so it’s not as likely to jump,” Bartholomew said. “It’s the same principle as creating a fuel break around these communities.”

When the fire starts, there will be smoke seen in the area along I-15. The BLM said it expects the smoke will be carried by the wind out of the area. However, smoke may become more prevalent at night. The burn is expected to last a week to 10 days.

The Greenville Bench is an area that the BLM said it has been working on over the past five years. Brush in the area has been thinned over time to reduce the level of fuels and increase habitat for wildlife.

“It’s just one more way to ensure safety for our firefighters and the general public,” Bartholomew said.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

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