Rangers begin burning slash piles

The Salt Lake Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on Tuesday will begin burning slash piles resulting from earlier thinning of approximately 88 acres of oak brush in the Davis Creek.

The pile burning is dependent on Utah Department of Environmental Quality approval and particular weather conditions. Rangers say they understand that smoke created during the burning affects people, but they're asking the community to be tolerant to some temporary smoke in order to reduce the threat of future large fires in the area.

The piles will be patrolled daily by forest fire crews to monitor the spread. Smoke may be present for several days after ignition. Prescribed burns are used to reduce excess fuels on the forest floor and produce healthier habitats. Rangers say the treatments are an important step in reducing hazardous fuels near communities and to help reduce the chances of having future catastrophic wildfires along the Wasatch Front in Davis County.