HAMILTON — Firefighters across the Bitterroot National Forest are gearing up for their annual prescribed burning operations.
Pending favorable conditions, underburning operations are scheduled to begin later this month.
“This is the time of year when we have the opportunity to be proactive and meet our forest-wide goals of reducing hazardous fuels in key areas near communities,” said David Tingley, Bitterroot National Forest Fuels Fire Management Officer. “Over the coming weeks, we will be burning on days that maximize safety and minimize smoke impacts to restore healthy forest conditions.”
Spring prescribed fire activities normally take place in April and May and burning is highly weather and fuel-dependent.
Fire managers plan to burn a total of approximately 9,235 acres this spring.
Smoke may be visible at times from West Fork Highway, East Fork Highway, or Highway 93.
Stevensville Ranger District – 1,300 acres are planned:
- Threemile Units - east of Florence in the Threemile State Wildlife Management Area
- West Central “Victor V” – Three miles northwest of Victor.
West Fork Ranger District – 4,200 acres are planned:
- Lower West Fork Project - south of Trapper Creek and north of Boulder Creek
- Piquett Creek - east of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and north of Pine Creek
- School Point Ecoburn - west of Ward Creek and east of Halford Creek
- Soda Springs Ecoburn - east of Little West Fork and west of Halford Creek
Darby/Sula Ranger District – 3,735 acres are planned:
- Como/Horse Lick Units - south of Lost Horse and north of Lake Como
- Cameron Blue Ecoburn - along East Fork Hwy near Guide Creek
- Tabor Ecoburn – northeast of Darby, east of Hwy 93
- Teepee Face Ecoburn - north of East Fork Hwy and northwest of Springer/Bonanza
- Trapper Bunkhouse – west of Darby from Trapper Creek to Chaffin Creek
- West Side Collaborative burn – north of Lost Horse Road and south of Camas Creek
- West Tolan Ecoburn - east of Sula between Reimel and Tolan Creeks
According to the Bitterroot National Forest:
Prescribed burning operations are a key component of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy that works with partners to protect communities and improve the resilience of America’s Forests. Burning will only be conducted if conditions are favorable. Favorable conditions include correct parameters for temperature, wind, fuel moisture, and ventilation for smoke. When prescription criteria are met, firefighters implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets forest health and public safety goals.
All prescribed burns will be implemented in compliance with Montana air quality standards and coordinated with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities. Smoke may settle in the valley bottoms and drainages overnight, but it is expected to dissipate within a few days.
Visit an interactive map with the latest planned areas of prescribed fire treatments at https://arcg.is/0PqzHO0 or the Discover Bitterroot National Forest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DiscoverBitterrootNF.
