Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge officials are preparing to conduct a prescribed burn to support prairie restoration efforts on Protection Island this week.

A 6-acre burn is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4, but may be rescheduled for later in the month “when weather and fuel conditions allow for safe and successful project implementation,” according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives.

The burn will be conducted by personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources.

The purpose of the burn is to remove non-native vegetation from the site to prepare for restoration of native coastal prairie habitat, wildlife refuge officials said.

“The burn will also evaluate prescriptive parameters necessary to successfully utilize fire as a resource management tool,” they said in a press release this week.

Smoke may be visible for a short time during the burn, officials noted. However, minimal smoke is expected because of the relative small size of the prescribed burn.

Information on the prescribed fire will be available at the refuge headquarters and local information stations and overlooks.

For more information, call the refuge office at 360-457-8451.