Prescribed fire planned north of Whitefish
Ali Ulwelling with the Montana DNRC, takes photographs during a prescribed burn at Lone Pine State Park in Kalispell on Thursday, April 7. Held in conjunction with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the prescribed fire is aimed at benefiting the park's grassland habitat, including native plants and the wildlife species that frequent the area.(Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Smoke will be visible this week from a prescribed fire north of Whitefish.
The Stillwater Unit of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is planning to complete the fire operations as conditions allow.
The burn is between Stryker Ridge and the Upper Whitefish Lake Roads. Smoke will be visible from Whitefish and most of the Flathead Valley, fire official said.
All prescribed burns will follow Montana Air Quality Standards and are coordinated with the Montana State Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke.
For more information about activities on the Stillwater Unit call 406-881-2371.
Prescribed fire is used by forest managers to reduce slash generated from forest management activities and prepare treated forest stands for regeneration.
Low to moderate intensity fire returns nutrients to the soil, releases cone seeds on newly exposed mineral soil, and reduces presence of competing vegetation to better allow new seedlings to establish and thrive. The reduction of slash creates breaks in fuel across the landscape and decreases the potential for large fire growth in treated areas.