Franklin Creek Prescribed Fire at Land Between the Lakes

LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY/TN – March 24, 2017 – Weather permitting, Land Between
the Lakes National Recreation Area will conduct a prescribed burn in the Franklin
Creek area during the week of March 27. Franklin Creek burn unit is located east of
the Woodlands Trace, north of US68/KY80 and is within the Northern Oak-Grassland
Demonstration Area.
Fire management staff will also take advantage of any favorable conditions to
continue treatments in open lands near Brandon Springs and Crossroads areas.
“These burns are a continuation of the fire management program at Land Between the
Lakes,” says Todd Lerke, Fire Management Specialist at Land Between the Lakes.
“Prescribed fire is a tool we can use to reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest
health, increase diversity, and re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest
ecosystem.”
The Franklin Creek prescribed burn is 2,641 acres. Prescribed burns only occur if
variables including specific weather, fuel conditions, agency guidelines, and
protocols are favorable and support desired results.
Smoke will be visible and may have variable short term effects on surrounding
communities. The bulk of smoke output will last 2-3 days with each subsequent day
sequentially less. Coordination with the National Weather Service, Kentucky Division
for Air Quality, predictive services, and on site monitoring will all play an active
role in the implementation to minimize potential impacts. Keep windows, doors, and
vents closed at night to reduce exposure.
Land Between the Lakes will notify local media outlets on days when prescribed fires
are scheduled. Daily updates on prescribed fires can be found at
www.landbetweenthelakes.us/alerts-notices or by calling 270.924.2000.
To find more information about Land Between the Lakes, log on to the official
website at www.landbetweenthelakes.us<http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us> or call
1-800-LBL-7077 or 270-924-2000. Photos available on Flickr at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lblkytn/albums.
For past news
releases go to https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/about/news-room/.