DOE conducting controlled burns on Oak Ridge Reservation

Posted at 4:35 am March 12, 2023
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy is conducting controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation through mid-April, weather permitting.

People may see smoke from this activity. However, smoke in Oak Ridge and other areas in the region could also be the result of prescribed burns currently being undertaken by other federal and state agencies, a press release said.

It said the controlled burns are planned on the Three Bend Area off Pump House and Bull Bluff Roads and other managed grassland areas off Bethel Valley Road and off Highway 58.

The controlled burns were scheduled to start last week. Here is where they are planned through mid-April, depending upon the weather:

Freels Bend fields—up to approximately 284 acres of grassland and scrub
Gallaher Bend fields—up to approximately 125 acres of grassland and kudzu
Solway Bend fields—up to approximately 62 acres of grassland
Bethel fields—up to approximately 5.2 acres of grassland
Wheat Church Vista—up to approximately 33 acres of grassland and woodland
Dyllis kudzu control—up to approximately 48 acres of forest edge, grassland, and kudzu
West Borrow kudzu control—approximately 6 acres of forest edge and kudzu
National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Secure Transportation Training Facility—approximately 51.4 acres of grassland and woodlands

These planned burns are part of DOE’s effort to provide wildlife habitat, encourage growth of native plants, and reduce the risk of wildfires, the press release said. They are conducted and overseen by Tennessee Division of Forestry personnel who maintain fire control equipment, certified burn managers, and trained personnel at the burn area.

During burns, distant smoke may be observed in the Oak Ridge vicinity of Clark Center Park or south of the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education campus and nearby segments of State Routes 95, 58, and 327.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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DOE conducting controlled burns on Oak Ridge Reservation

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