Cabinet Ranger District begins prescribed fires

TROUT CREEK — The Cabinet Ranger District on the Kootenai National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations throughout the next few weeks. 

Officials estimate this work to continue through the spring as weather conditions allow. Prescribed fires are used to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Prescribed fires planned for the area include:

- Beaver Peak Area on Forest Road 1912B near Heron, MT in Sanders County.

- Forest Road 2229 between Noxon, MT and Trout Creek, MT in Sanders County.

- Big Beaver Creek on Forest Road 2262 near Emma Creek, Trout Creek, MT in Sanders County.

Please see the attached maps for prescribed fire locations.

Those areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

Officials will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website and social media channels. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins. 

For more information, please contact the Cabinet Ranger Station at 406-827-3533.

The U.S. Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. 

The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. 

The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.