Flathead Forest plans series of prescribed burns
The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct multiple prescribed fire projects during the next several weeks.
Burning will continue through the close of open burning season on Nov. 30. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions.
Each project follows a prescribed burn plan and is located, designed and controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects or escape as a wildland fire.
The project areas include:
Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger Districts
• Red Whale Creek Area — A 1,114-acre project in the Red Whale Creek drainage in the North Fork area 4 miles north of Polebridge.
• Heinrude Fuels Project — Burning 22 acres of debris piles adjacent to Heinrude Creek and the West-side Hungry Horse Reservoir road near the Heinrude cabins.
• Belton Fuels Project — Burning 15 acres of debris piles adjacent to private property in West Glacier and 176 acres of scattered debris piles between Coram and West Glacier.
• Essex area — Burning several debris piles and logging slash in the Essex area.
• Slippery Bill —Burning several debris piles and logging slash.
• Firefighter — Burning debris piles and logging slash.
Tally Lake Ranger District
• Beaver Lake North Fuels Reduction Project — Burning about 5 acres of debris piles adjacent to private property about five miles west of Whitefish.
• Valley Face Fuels Reduction Project — Burning 69 acres of debris piles adjacent to private property 8 miles southwest of Whitefish along the Tally Lake Road.
• Ashley Communications Site Project — Burning 4 acres of hand piles around the communications site.
• Logan 200 Project — Burning 180 acres of hand piles at the north end of Tally Lake east of the campground.
• Sharptail Project — Burning 17 acres of mechanical piles just off Star Meadows road.
• Ashley Lake Project — Burning 76 acres of mechanical piles west of Ashley Lake.
• Herrig Creek Project — Burning 95 acres of mechanical piles 2.5 miles north of Little Bitterroot Lake.
Spotted Bear Ranger District
• Horse Ridge —Burning units along the ridge to the east the East Side Road and north of Spotted Bear complex.
• Miscellaneous Piles — Piles around the district from a variety of projects will be burned.
Swan Lake Ranger District
• Wild Cramer — Broadcast and under-burning in stands in the Blacktail Mountain area west of Lakeside, MT.
• Condon Fuels — Broadcast burning in timber stands within the Condon Fuels project area around Condon in the Swan Valley.
• Pile Burning — Hand or machine piles would be burned in several locations within the Swan Valley, Blacktail Mountain, and Haskill Mountain.
For more information about these projects, contact the appropriate ranger station:
• Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger Districts: 406-387-3800.
• Tally Lake Ranger District: 406-758-5204.
• Spotted Bear Ranger District: 406-758-5376.
• Swan Lake Ranger District: 406-837-7500.