Prescribed burn on Lone Pine State Park today
In this Oct. 28, 2008 file photo, a firefighter uses a drip torch during a prescribed burn of about 27 acres near Inskip, Calif. (Bill Husa/Chico Enterprise-Record via AP, File)
Fire crews are scheduled to conduct a prescribed burn at Lone Pine State Park on Thursday, April 7 as conditions allow.
Smoke will be visible during the project, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said in a press release.
The park's archery range and surrounding area will be closed to visitation during the burn. The burn will not impact the rest of the park, including the designated trail system.
Following a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan, state officials said that Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation personnel will be on site closely monitoring and managing the burn. The project is expected to follow Montana air quality standards, and fire crews are coordinating with the county environmental health agency.
Prescribed burns involve the intentional ignition of fire in a defined area. Prescribed fires follow strategic plans that seek to achieve site-specific resource management objectives, such as hazard removal or wildlife habitat improvement. The prescribed fire at Lone Pine is aimed at benefiting the park's grassland habitat, including native plants and the wildlife species that frequent the area.