||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
San Juan County Parks and Fair completed a successful prescribed burn at Odlin County Park on October 23, 2025, providing training opportunities for WA State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and San Juan County Fire District 4 (Lopez).
Project Background
In the summer of 2025, County Park staff, along with the San Juan Islands Conservation Districts Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), worked together to collect woody debris from the forest floor for brush pile burning. These piles were then burned in October to help with fuel reduction as well as to provide a joint training opportunity for San Juan County Fire District 4 and DNR staff.
“Events like these strengthen our relationship with our partners, resulting in a more cohesive response to an emergency,” said Caleb Pal, Captain of the Lopez Fire Department.
Fire Safety
Property owners are encouraged to create defensible space around their homes and buildings by removing excessive fuels.
“Removing the heavy concentrations of dead and down fuels, heavy concentrations of brush, and ladder fuels that allow surface fires to climb into the tree canopy, are methods we use to minimize the impact of a wildfire,” said Jason McMillen, Salish Unit Fire Management Officer from DNR.
Resources are available to homeowners looking to create defensible spaces on their property:
- Defensible Space – Prepare Your Home | Department of Natural Resources
- https://www.nfpa.org/
education-and-research/ wildfire/firewise-usa
San Juan County Parks and Fair would like to thank all those involved with last weeks prescribed burn. DNR Crew: Jay McMillen, Dylan VanPelt, Keegan Blaine, Mac Zavala, Amedeo Conta, Ashley Sytsma, Anthony Robles. Lopez Fire Department: Caleb Pal, Monico Mackinnon, Joshua Corsa, Jonathan Doherty
Contact: Joe Ingman, Lopez Island County Parks Manager, joei@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-468-2496
About San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair
San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair oversees public parks on all four ferry-served islands, manages camping, and hosts the San Juan County Fair. The department offices are located at 849 Argyle Avenue, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Fair, visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.
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