OAK RIDGE, TN - The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Office (ORO) will initiate controlled burns of woodland areas on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. The burns will take place within the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s (TWRA) Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement (BORCE) East Tract and Parcel ED-6 along North Boundary Road and Wisconsin Avenue off of Oak Ridge Turnpike. Firebreak installation activities supporting these burns will begin in the near future with ignitions taking place as soon thereafter as weather conditions permit and continuing through December 2018.

These planned burns are part of a collaborative effort between DOE, TWRA, and the City of Oak Ridge Fire Department (ORFD) to reduce wildfire fuel loading within the Reservation’s Wildland/Urban Interface zone. It is anticipated the burns will also serve to improve wildlife habitat, aid establishment of native plants and control of invasive plant species and increase viewing opportunities of these natural resources from established greenway trails. The burns are conducted and overseen by the State of Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) personnel who maintain fire control equipment, certified burn managers, and trained personnel at the burn area. ORFD will patrol the DOE boundary roads adjacent to residential areas while personnel with TWRA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Natural Resources Management Program monitor the progress of the burn. Smoke may be detectible in the Oak Ridge vicinity of Westwood, Oak Hill Estates and Southwood Subdivisions during the burns.

The public is advised that as a safety precaution use of the North Boundary Trail network and related parking areas will be restricted during the operations. Assessments of additional Reservation interface areas are ongoing and may lead to similar proactive site specific measures.

Source: DOE