Fall prescribed burn season in full swing

As wildfire season slows down, firefighters across the Lolo and Flathead National Forests have shifted their focus to prescribed burning operations. This will reduce hazardous fuels, restore wildlife habitat and better protect communities from future wildfires.

Fall prescribed fire projects will be conducted when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Clearwater and Swan Valleys depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions.

Each project follows a prescribed fire burn plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects or to escape as a wildland fire. These projects will follow Montana air quality standards and coordinated with Montana State Department of Environmental Quality and Missoula City-County Health Department to reduce the impacts of smoke to neighbors, cooperators and surrounding communities.

Seeley Lake Ranger District

The Seeley Lake Ranger District burned a 550-acre unit 15 miles north of Seeley Lake in the East Colt Summit area Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. Firefighters started ignitions on East Colt Summit Unit Monday, Oct. 4. Tuesday, Oct. 5 they lit the interior of the unit with a helicopter since it was the most efficient tool to light so much area. Wednesday, Oct. 6 District Ranger Quinn Carver reported ignition was complete and the burn went extremely well.

"All of the lines have held and we have folks working hard to keep things in check," Carver wrote in an email. "I was up on the line yesterday and we are doing well meeting our objectives and cleaning up dead and down fuels along some private land in addition to stimulating some larch regeneration, stimulating aspen regeneration and improving forage for wildlife. Smoke effects have really primarily impacted Condon the most."

Carver said there were some strong adverse feedback from a couple of folks in Condon and across the highway from the burn. Concerns included impacting the viewshed and smoke related complaints.

"I have heard those concerns and taken them to heart. We are doing our level best to honor and address those concerns while we are implementing this burn," Carver wrote. "I will listen and try to understand while telling my side of the story and try to find some middle ground. The biggest part of dealing with some of these issues is communication."

Carver said he has found a better way to communicate with the Swan Valley community regarding upcoming burns and other activities that will impact them. While he apologized that this does not excuse the lack of communication this time, "it should improve things moving forward. I look forward to working with [new contacts in] Condon."

Carver said in the upcoming weeks they will shift to pile burning associated with the salvage harvesting work. If they do get a window to broadcast burn again this fall, they will likely focus on the Horseshoe West Area south of Seeley Lake. Both the Horseshoe West and East Colt project area are in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and building on previous work accomplished.

"As I have observed this fire season, much of the suppression has focused on protecting houses and infrastructure values at risk," Carver wrote in an email. "It is my thought that we need to up our game on the Seeley District over the next several years so that we hopefully aren't in the position of doing this work with a wildfire bearing down on us. This year, it means dealing with smoke for a little longer and stretching our folks and partners (primarily DNRC) a little more to take this on."

Swan Lake Ranger District

On the Swan Lake Ranger District, pile burning will be conducted in addition to these project areas:

Lindy Ridge Prescribed Burn - The objective of the prescribed fire is to treat 1,104 acres in and adjacent to the Mission Mountains Wilderness to reduce crown fire potential, decrease flame lengths and decrease spotting distance and, therefore, increase the probability that a natural ignition would stay within the wilderness boundary and fire could play its natural role on the landscape. 

How Now Timber Sale – This project includes broadcast burning in timber harvest units located on Sixmile Mountain, North of Swan Lake. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, and vegetation regeneration.

Louie Timber Sale - This project includes broadcast burning in timber harvest units located within the Truman Creek drainage near Blacktail Mountain south of Kila, Montana and west of Lakeside, Montana.

Swan Valley Bottom Maintenance Burning – This project includes maintenance broadcast burning in previously treated timber harvest units located within the Swan Valley. Specific locations include the Lion Creek Drainage and Meadow Creek area. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, large ungulate winter range improvement and improve forest health.

Dewey Stewardship – This project includes broadcast burning in timber harvest units located within the Wild Bill drainage near Blacktail Mountain south of Kila. These treatments will use prescribed fire for fuels reduction, vegetation regeneration and wildlife habitat improvements.

For more information about these projects, contact the Seeley Lake Ranger District at 406-677-2233 or the Swan Lake Ranger District at 406-837-7500 or follow the Flathead National Forest and Lolo National Forest on social media.