Prescribed burns planned near Big Mountain today
A plume of smoke from a prescribed burn rises east of Whitefish Mountain Resort on Tuesday afternoon while a pair of people walk through a field off Denver Street in Whitefish. The Flathead National Forest conducted burns east of the resort as part of the Whitefish Municipal Watershed Fuel Reduction Project and was expected later in the day to conduct burns to the west of the resort as part of the Taylor Hellroaring Project. Both projects are aimed at reducing the risk and severity of future wildfires in the area. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
Prescribed burns planned on Big Mountain today are expected to produce smoke that will be visible across the Flathead Valley, forest officials warned.
The Tally Lake Ranger District is planning the burns on areas directly adjacent to the Whitefish Mountain Resort. According to the Forest Service, the weather, relative humidity, fuel moistures and smoke dispersion Tuesday should allow the opportunity to perform the burn operation.
The controlled burns will utilize a helicopter equipped with a helitorch, a device that drops fire into the area to be burned, to accomplish ignition. Firefighters will be on scene to monitor and ensure the fire stays within the control perimeter.
The burn operations to the east of Whitefish Mountain Resort were approved in the Whitefish Municipal Watershed Fuel Reduction Project in 2017. The purpose of these burns is to protect the municipal watershed by introducing controlled fire that would reduce the chance for high intensity wildfire in the future.
The prescribed fire to the west of the ski area was approved in the Taylor Hellroaring Project in 2019. This unit would reduce the risk and severity of large-scale stand-replacing fire next to an electronic site. In addition to these protections, all units would increase resilience to insect and disease, improve wildlife species habitat, and aid in the restoration of whitebark pine.
A temporary closure order will be in effect surrounding the burns on the east side of the resort. This will include a portion of the Danny On Trail.
Tally Lake District Ranger Bill Mulholland will be available from 1-5 p.m. at Depot Park in Whitefish to answer questions and give updates on burn progress. Additional information can also be obtained by calling the Tally Lake Ranger Station at (406) 758-5204.