Incident Overview
Helena Ranger District Prescribed Burns
Throughout the spring and early summer, the Helena Ranger District of the Helena National Forest plans to implement several prescribed burn projects in the Helena area as long as weather, fuel moisture and smoke dispersal conditions are met.
The planned prescribed burns are part of vegetation and fuels reduction projects on the District. A few other scattered slash piles created by firewood gathering activities throughout the District could also be burned this spring; these piles are mostly adjacent to main roadways.
Jimtown prescribed burns
Multiple units totaling 750acres, along with various hand-piles, are planned to be burned as conditions allow, this spring or early summer. All of these prescribed burns are part of the Jimtown Hazardous Fuels Project, and are intended to help maintain healthy, sustainable ecosystems that reduce fire risk.
Clancy/Unionville prescribed burns
These prescribed burns, totaling about 1,100 acres, are located south of Helena in the Clancy/Unionville Vegetation Manipulation and Travel Management Project. These burns are designed to: provide for healthy native forest/grassland communities with a wide variety of native plant species, including trees of varying ages, species and sizes that are mare sustainable and resilient; and to help reduce the threat of large-scale, catastrophic wildfire by reducing horizontal continuity in wet-forest types and vertical continuity in dry-forest types.
Slash Piles
Roadside slash piles created by hazard tree removal activities in Telegraph Creek, along Travis Creek and North Elkhorns are also planned to be burned when conditions allow this spring and/or early summer. These areas are part of the Forest-wide Hazardous Tree Removal and Fuels Reduction Project.
Burn Area Safety
Please avoid visiting these areas when prescribed burns are being conducted. Please contact Kathy Bushnell at 406-422-7164 or the Helena Ranger District at 406-449-5201 with your questions. You are responsible for understanding your location relative to the project areas. There are no closures at this time.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Prescribed Fire |
|---|---|
| Location | Along Travis Creek Road |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 15 |
|---|---|
| Size | 3 acres |
| Fuels Involved | Slash piles |
| Significant Events | No closures are in-place, but we encourage people to take another route, if possible. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Today firefighters will burn three large slash piles along Travis Creek Road. The slash piles are a result of the implementation of the Forest-wide Roadside Hazardous Tree Removal project. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Minimal |
| Remarks | Smoke may be visible throughout the day today. For information call Kathy Bushnell at 422-7164. |
