OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Energy said it began a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation, as part of an overall effort to reduce the risk of wildland fires in collaboration with the Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF), TWRA, and the City of Oak Ridge Fire Department.
Beginning the week of April 5, controlled burning activity is scheduled to take place along the Oak Ridge Reservation boundary near Wisconsin Avenue and the North Boundary Greenway and on the west side of Wisconsin Avenue to the new Boulder Trail., according to a release from the Department of Energy.
The North Boundary Greenway and trails located on DOE land west of Wisconsin Avenue on the day of the controlled burn, and for two days following, according to the DOE. Signs will be posted.
The department said these planned burns are part of the TWRA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's effort to provide wildlife habitat, encourage growth of native plants, and reduce the risk of wildfires. They are conducted and overseen by TDF personnel who maintain fire control equipment, certified burn managers, and trained personnel at the burn area.