FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Don’t be alarmed if you see a fire or smoke near Friday Harbor this week.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is planning a prescribed burn in San Juan County in the near future. The fire will take place on up to four acres of grassland prairie at the Cattle Point Natural Resources Conservation Area located about five miles southeast of Friday Harbor.

DNR says its staff are prepared to start as soon as Wednesday, Sept. 4.

Burn crews will be on the scene to monitor the conditions and limit the effects of the smoke on nearby residents. People with increased sensitivity to smoke are being asked to follow the same precautions they would for wildfire smoke.

According to the DNR, prescribed burns create a new opportunity for wildflowers and other new species of forest life to live in these wooded areas that undergo a controlled burn. Residents can expect the smoke from these burns to linger in the area for a few hours or up to a day.

Residents can keep up to date on the prescribed burn on the DNR website.