WARRENTON, Ore. – The Sunset Beach State Recreation Site day-use parking lot and the portion of Fort-to-Sea Trail between the Camp Rilea bridge and the beach will be closed to visitor access Oct. 14 – 21 to facilitate a controlled burn in the park. Beach access for pedestrians and vehicles via Sunset Beach Road will remain open during the closure. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is partnering with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) to set the controlled burn next week; the precise day will be based on weather conditions. As of this writing, ODF is targeting Oct. 14 or 15 for the one-day burn. The controlled burn will target brush piles in the park north of Sunset Beach Road. Several brush piles were left over from a recent forest thinning project in the area and are prime fuel for wildfires. Local residents and park visitors may see smoke from the fires next week, however all fires will be closely monitored by state officials. Celeste Lebo, natural resource specialist with OPRD, says the extended day-use parking and trail closure is necessary for visitor safety. “We’ll be monitoring the controlled burn areas and checking for hot spots for several days after the project concludes,” says Lebo. “We’re asking park visitors and hikers to be patient while we ensure the area is safe.” Learn more about Sunset Beach State Recreation Site on oregonstateparks.org. More info about the Fort-to-Sea Trail, including maps, is on nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/forttosea.htm
