Officials announced on Monday that five prescribed burns are planned this fall at the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Public access to the monument may be restricted and smoke may be present, but no roads are expected to close. Those fires could start as soon as Saturday.
A separate series of prescribed fires was announced Tuesday for the Hells Hollow area, fourteen miles east of Logan. Those fires may occur anytime in October or November, depending on weather. No major road delays are expected.
The fires will be set in an effort to decrease the risk of future wildfires.
Darren McAvoy of the Utah State University Forestry Extension says controlled fires have a role in the ecology of forests.
"The fire is a critical part of our ecosystem, and without it, we're changing the vegetation of the landscape greatly into a less sustainable pattern of vegetation on the landscape."
McAvoy says there’s little chance the controlled fires will burn out of control, but residents nearby should take the usual precautions.
"Just general preparedness for fires is always a good idea, and especially so if a prescribed fire is happening in the neighborhood, considering that remote chance."