Prescribed Burning Continues
Incident: Wolf Mountain Prescribed Fire
Released: 9/20/2008
Prescribed burning continues in the Corral Creek area of the Wolf Mountains east of Lodge Grass. After thorough preparation, about 300 acres were burned by aerial ignition Thursday, September 18th, and by hand ignition the next day. Heavy dead timber on the ground is still smoking as engines and a squad of firefighters monitor the burn Saturday, September 20th. This was a milestone fire: the first aerial ignition of a prescribed fire by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions.
The objectives of the operation included firefighter and public safety, reducing hazardous fuels accumulation, and clearing brush to increase wildlife habitat and forage. Crow Agency BIA Forestry prepared a 105-page plan to conduct the prescribed burns. Before operations can continue, current and predicted weather must fall within the prescription for a fire that is neither too mild nor too intense. Crews were prepared to work Wednesday September 17th, but relative humidities were too low then to risk lighting many acres of fire. Conditions may be conducive the week of September 22nd if there is no rain. A burn plan is specific to the fuels and landscape that is proposed for treatment.
