Smoke, trail closures expected during planned burn at Mountain Home Ridge

LEAVENWORTH — A prescribed burn is planned at Mountain Home Ridge south of Leavenworth, with work expected to take place over multiple days as conditions allow.

The project, led by Chelan-Douglas Land Trust in partnership with the Cascadia Prescribed Burn Association and Cascadia Conservation District, will occur on the conservation property about three miles south of the city. Burning may continue through April depending on weather and site conditions.

All trails on the Mountain Home Ridge property are closed during operations and will reopen once work is complete. Visitors are asked to respect closures for public and crew safety.

Smoke from the burn will likely be visible throughout the Leavenworth area. Crews plan to conduct the work only under conditions that support safe burning and limit smoke impacts, though some temporary smoke is expected. People who are sensitive to smoke may want to take precautions.

The burn is part of a longer-term forest management effort on the property. Over the past five years, the site has undergone thinning and pile burning, with prescribed fire now used to reduce fuel, improve forest health, and support wildlife habitat while lowering the risk of more severe wildfire.

The Cascadia Prescribed Burn Association works with trained volunteers to carry out projects like this across the region. Those interested in participating or learning more can visit cascadiapba.org.

Updates on trail closures and project status will be posted at cdlandtrust.org.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media