Where there's smoke, there's prescribed fire

OLYMPIA -- A heads up for neighbors and visitors to the Olympic National Forest: Where there’s smoke, there’s a prescribed burn.

During the month of June, fire managers will conduct small fires in the area as part of prescribed burns to reduce larger, overall forest fires. These prescribed burns help restore forest health by getting rid of forest fuels, recycling nutrients and increasing habitat diversity.

According to park officials, the burns will happen at the Hood Canal Ranger District Office on Highway 101 in Quilcene, Wash. and at the Dennie Ahl seed orchard on the 2340 Road in Mason County.

Fire officials will try to minimize the smoke from the fires but warn it could impact the air. State officials expected a later than normal fire season because of an unusually wet spring.