Prescribed Burn at Whitefish Mountain Resort to Kick Up Smoke
Flathead National Forest officials warn residents that smoke plumes from the Oct. 20 watershed fuel reduction project will be ‘highly visible’ from across the valley
By Tristan Scott
Officials with the Flathead National Forest are warning residents that a prescribed burn rescheduled to occur Oct. 20 on forested parcels directly adjacent to Whitefish Mountain Resort will create smoke plumes that “will be highly visible from around the Flathead Valley.”
The same area was initially planned for ignition on Oct. 10, according to Flathead Forest officials, but was delayed due to weather conditions.
Approximately 850 acres of forested land to the east of Whitefish Mountain Resort was approved in the Whitefish Municipal Watershed Fuel Reduction Project in 2017. Last year, fire managers successfully completed 187 acres of burning, and hope to accomplish an additional 285 acres on Oct. 20.
“The purpose of these burns is to protect the municipal watershed by introducing prescribed fire that would reduce the chance for high intensity wildfire in the future,” according to a news release announcing the project. “In addition to these protections, this burn would increase resilience to insect and disease, improve wildlife species habitat, and aid in the restoration of whitebark pine.”
This controlled burn 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 and in surrounding areas to aid in implementation.
A temporary closure order will be in effect surrounding the burn but will not restrict hikers from using the Danny On Memorial Trail or bikers from accessing the downhill bike park.
Members of the public can monitor the Flathead National Forest’s social media sites for updated information at https://www.facebook.com/discovertheflathead and at https://twitter.com/FlatheadNF. General Forest information can be found online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/flathead.