Spring Prescribed Fires to begin on Bitterroot National Forest

Hamilton, MT — The Bitterroot National Forest plans to begin prescribed fire operations for the spring season with activities to continue as weather conditions allow. These prescribed burns are being accomplished to maintain open grown Ponderosa Pine and grass on dry, lower elevations sites, and to reduce conifer encroachment and improve winter range forage conditions. Prescribed burning will also decrease the risk of stand replacing wildfire by reducing fuels across the landscape as well as reduce the risk of wildfire intensities in the wildland-urban interface.

To see burn locations, community members can go to the public interactive map at https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7b743b38029e4973b2e6523c976b097b

Prescribed fires planned on the Bitterroot National Forest include:

Stevensville Ranger District: 

• West Central Project Area
  • WC Victor V West – 354 Acres – 7 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • WC Victor V North – 100 Acres – 6 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • WC Victor V North Silv. 1 – 80 Acres – 6 miles southwest of Stevensville
  • BC 1a – 1023 Acres – 6 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • BC 2 – 475 Acres - 6 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • BC 3 – 580 Acres – 5 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • WC 3a – 242 Acres - 5 miles west southwest of Stevensville
  • WC 3b – 222 Acres – 5 miles west southwest of Stevensville

Darby-Sula Ranger District:

• Tabor Project Area
  • Units DLL1, DLL2, DLL3, DLL3b, DLL5, DLL6, DLL7, DLL8, DLL10, DLL10b
    • 440 Acres - 10 miles South of Hamilton
• Huck Trap / Trapper Bunkhouse Project
  • Units TB15, TBH12/39, HT3.3
    • 400 Acres – 3 miles west of Conner
• Westside Collaborative 34, 3E – 170 Acres – 10 miles south southwest of Hamilton

West Fork Ranger District:

• Lower West Fork 34/Frazier 65 – 144 Acres – 4 miles southwest of Conner
• Piquett Project Area – 6 miles southwest of Conner
  • Piquett Ridge - 585 Acres
  • Piquett Creek – 430 Acres
  • Pine Creek – 175 Acres
  • West Violet – 178 Acres

Prescribed burn schedules and cancelations will be posted on the Discover the Bitterroot Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DiscoverBitterrootNF. Please check the day of for updates. We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, a scheduled prescribed fire may be canceled. 

Warning signs will be posted along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns and county emergency management officials will be notified. 

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns, most notably in the evening. Go to www.airnow.gov to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.