Forest announces prescribed burns as fall weather approaches

The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed burning, when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality become favorable. 

Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. 

Each prescribed burn follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan.  The prescribed fire areas are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects, or to escape as a wildland fire. 

Burning will follow Montana air quality standards and coordinated with Montana State Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities.

The following lists prescribed burning locations by local ranger district:

Tally Lake Ranger District

Whitefish Municipal Watershed, Ashley Mountain, Taylor Hell Roaring near Big Mountain, Gergen (near Good Creek).

Hungry Horse District

Red Whale Landscape – approximately 536 acres near Moose and Moran Creeks; Belton Landscape 916 acres near West Glacier; Hungry Lion landscape, 306 acres east of Hungry Horse Mountain and west of the Great Bear Wilderness boundary; Royal Tiger 86 in the Emery Creek Drainage on the north side of Emery Creek.

Spotted Bear Ranger District

Several units near Horse Ridge; Spotted Bear Mountain, south of Spotted Bear Lake and multiple pile burnings as well.

For more information or questions contact the individual ranger stations directly.

Smoke from fires may be visible in the valley throughout the fall burning season.