English: Prescribed Fire at McNary National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, USA

Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex fire staff completed a 90-acre prescribed burn on McNary National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) yesterday. Extending along the east bank of the Columbia River in southeastern Washington, from the confluence of the Snake River to the mouth of the Walla Walla River, and downstream into Oregon, McNary NWR is located in Burbank, Washington. Established in 1956, the Refuge was created to replace wildlife habitat lost to construction of the McNary Dam downstream. The 15,000 acres of sloughs, ponds, streams and islands—riparian and wetland habitat—as well as upland shrub-steppe and cliff-talus habitat are important to migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. Prescribed fire is used here to reduce hazardous fuels (flammable vegetation), as well as improve habitat for migrating birds using the Refuge this autumn.