KALISPELL — It’s that time of year when large plumes of smoke can be visible across Northwest Montana as fire agencies conduct prescribed fires.
Prescribed fires help reduce overgrown vegetation and help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Fire Prevention Program Specialist Marcel Getz says fall is the best season for prescribed burns thanks to cooler temperatures and lower humidity.
He told MTN that the DNRC specializes in two types of prescribed burns: one is a prescribed “Broadcast” fire that burns across a landscape, and the other method is slash pile burning.
He said up to 60 firefighters can be working on one prescribed burn, depending on the size of the fire. Getz also noted that prescribed fires can be used as a tool set to mimic Mother Nature.
“Obviously we can’t have rampant wildfires going through and cleaning up the woods, and so broadcast burning allows us to go in and burn the understory, burn the ground fuels off the forest floor, which then allows the landscape during fire season if we do get a fire in that area, it’s not going to be as intense,” said Getz.
Getz said prescribed fires are typical in Northwest Montana through early November.
