Prescribed burning season continuing on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Release Date: May 6, 2019
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (April 9, 2019) – Favorable conditions are providing ideal prescribed burning opportunities across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Multiple prescribed burning projects are planned this week, although the exact day of ignitions will depend upon conditions. Prescribed burning is part of each ranger district’s annual natural resource management program to reduce hazardous fuels, prepare areas for tree planting, and improve wildlife forage. Maps and information is available at http://www.northidahorxfire.com/.
Bonners Ferry Ranger District:
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Meadow Creek: Located between Fern and Wall Creek in the Meadow Creek drainage, the burn units are approximately 10 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho
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Brushy Mission 2: Located approximately 14 miles due-north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and east of the Highway 95 junction with Highway 1. Ignitions are nearing completion, crews will patrol and monitor.
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Kreist Lightning: Located near Kreist and Synder Creek drainages, between the Moyie River and Deer Creek, the project area is approximately 11 miles north of Moyie Springs, Idaho.
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Twentymile: Located in the Twentymile watershed, west and southwest of Black Mountain, the project area is approximately six air miles east of Naples, Idaho and will be visible from Highway 95.
Priest Lake Ranger District:
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Lower Priest: Located in the Priest River drainage, approximately 18 miles North of Priest River, Idaho.
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Lakeview: Located in the Priest River drainage, approximately three miles east of Nordman, Idaho.
Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District:
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Fern Hardy: Located in the Mason Creek, Hayden and Hardy, Rantenan Creek, Bentley Creek, and Curran Creek drainages within two miles of Interstate 90. Ignitions are complete, crews will patrol and monitor.
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Hoodoo Ames: Located in the Deception and Ames Creek drainages, the burn units are 14 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho near NFS Road 612.
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Red Beauty: Located in the Beauty Creek drainage, the burn units are near Swan Saddle, south of Mineral Ridge. Ignitions are complete, crews will continue to patrol and monitor.
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White Beaver: Located in the Beaver Creek drainage, including the sub-drainages of Scott Gulch, White Creek, Alder Creek, Deer Creek, Dudley Creek and Ferguson Creek, the burn units are three to six miles north of Osburn, Idaho, and are positioned along NFS Roads: 424, 271, 933 and 1586.
St. Joe Ranger District:
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St. Joe Divide: Located north of the St. Joe River in the Big Creek, Slate Creek, and North Fork drainages, the burn units are primarily brush fields on south-facing slopes.
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Wooden Spur: Located in the St. Maries River drainage, 36 miles southeast of St. Maries, Idaho off of Hwy. 3, the burn units are in the Cat Spur Creek area southeast of Clarkia, Idaho.
BLM Coeur d’Alene District Office:
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Ninemile: Located four miles northwest of Wallace, Idaho, ignitions are complete, crews will continue to patrol and monitor.
Fire Managers monitor weather and fuels to determine when burning can be safely conducted. Burned areas are monitored to ensure that fire remains within the project boundaries. “Prescribed burning is an important tool to reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat and meet other objectives for healthy forests. Firefighter and public safety are always paramount when conducting these burns,” said Forest Supervisor Jeanne Higgins.
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests works with the Montana/Idaho Airshed Group, which works with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to minimize smoke impacts from prescribed burning. All prescribed burning decisions are based on the Group's recommendations given predicted smoke emissions and dispersion forecasts. Additional information on air quality and smoke management is available at https://mi.airshedgroup.org/
The public is urged to stay away from project areas during burning operations and for a few days afterward. Signs will be posted along access roads and near affected trailheads and trail junctions during operations. Temporary access restrictions or closures may be necessary for public safety. The exact timing and acreage of burns depend on fuel conditions and wind patterns. People with respiratory problems are encouraged to contact their local district office if they wished to be notified when burning will occur.
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