Prescribed burns are planned this week on federally managed lands near Ashland, Ruch, Willow Lake and Waters Creek, according to the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Prescribed burns are “good” lower-intensity fire on the ground to help restore ecosystem health, minimize hazardous fuels and reduce the threat of large wildfires. Prescribed burn supervisors follow state air-quality parameters in order to minimize smoke impacts to communities.

A 46-acre prescribed burn was set Monday near Flumet Flat Group Campground about 9 miles south of Ruch. Another prescribed fire is scheduled to take place today in the Woodruff Flats/off-highway vehicle area north of Prospect. And another might be lit next week in the Big Butte Springs area east of Butte Falls.

Air quality and visibility may be impacted during such events.

“Our fire management personnel do their absolute best to minimize smoke impacts while working to protect our local communities from the threat of wildfire,” said Dan Quinones, acting Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest supervisor.

Spring and fall are the best times of year to light a prescribed burn because the fuels are in the right condition to burn without the fire getting too intense. Such fires stay on the ground, burn slowly and typically improve habitat for wildlife and native plants.

All prescribed burns are carried out by trained firefighters who burn within units that have fire breaks along their boundaries. Burn ignition times generally start between 10 and 11 a.m.