IPNF prescribed burns to begin

April 11, 2014

The Idaho Panhandle National Forest plans to initiate their annual prescribed fire program starting today and continue into the following weeks.

Prescribed burning is used to reduce dead and down fuels, selectively thin understory trees in dense forested stands, stimulate fire resistant plant species, enhance forage and browse, reduce the risk of large stand-replacement fires, and restore fire under controlled conditions as a disturbance factor in these landscapes. Prescribed fire managers are planning to implement hazardous fuel reduction burns throughout the spring season, weather and conditions permitting, at the following project sites:

Bonners Ferry Ranger District

   * Stampede (200 acres): Near Stampede Lake and the community of Naples
   * Twin Skin (50 acres): Approximately 10 miles northeast of Moyie Springs in the vicinity of Salomon Lake
   * Snow Way (320 acres): Approximately six miles southwest of Bonners Ferry in the Snow Creek drainage
   * Blazing Saddle (90 acres): Approximately 11 miles west of Porthill in the Saddle Creek drainage
   * Idaho Buckhorn Habitat Burn (450 acres): Approximately seven miles north of Moyie Springs in the Deer Creek drainage north of Keno Creek and east of Buckhorn Ridge. Aerial ignition will be used to ignite the burn units.

Sandpoint Ranger District

   * South Grouse (250 acres): On Grouse Mountain, approximately four miles east of Sagle
   * West Gold (75 acres): Approximately two miles southwest of Lakeview
Prospect (100 acres) and Gold Pond (30 acres): Approximately four miles south of Bayview

Priest Lake Ranger District

   * Lakeview/Reeder (520 acres): Brush field burning on the east side of Lakeview Mtn. (near Elkins Resort)

Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District

   * Deerfoot Project Area (800 acres): East and northeast of Hayden Lake within the Nilson, Two Forks, Three Forks, Jim Creek and Yellowbanks Creek drainages
   * Blue Alder Project Area (700 acres): In the Blue Alder project area near Fourth of July Pass and within the Blue Creek and Alder Creek drainages
   * Prichard-Murray Project Area (1,000 acres): In the vicinity of Prichard in the Clee Creek, Avery Creek, Hopkins Creek and main Coeur d’Alene River drainages.

St. Joe Ranger District

   * T-Bone Timber Sale (36 acres): Located approximately four miles north of Clarkia in the Blair Creek drainage. Hand ignition will be used to ignite the unit.
   * Manhattan Timber Sale (89 acres): Located in the Kelly and Manhattan Creek drainages approximately 11 miles northeast of Avery. Road 3472 may be impacted.
   * Quarreling Eagles Timber Sale (69 acres): Located in the Eagle Creek drainage, approximately 13 miles northeast of Avery. Roads 3444, 1214, and 1214D may be impacted.

Actual acres within each project area may vary dependent upon fuel conditions, smoke dispersion, wind patterns, and other variables. The exact timing for each planned burn is unknown as prescribed burning is dependent on weather conditions, fuel moisture and smoke dispersion criteria.

Up to 12,000 acres of national forest system lands in north Idaho could be burned this spring and fall depending on conditions.

“Prescribed fire plays an important ecological role in providing great benefits to forest health,” said Forest Supervisor Mary Farnsworth. “Prescribed burning will reduce wildfire risks for local communities, while improving wildlife habitat and restoring the forest’s resiliency to threats such as uncharacteristic fires, insects and disease.”

Active burning will occur for a period of two to three days, with smoldering fire afterward until rains extinguish the fires. Burn areas can pose very hazardous conditions such as rapid and unpredictable spreading of flames, falling trees, heavy smoke and limited visibility, and rolling rocks and logs.

Prescribed fire areas can be dangerous and members of the public are urged to stay away from these areas during burning operations and for a few days afterward.

If you plan on recreating or hunting in these project areas make sure you understand your location relative to the burn units. If you find yourself in an active burn area, you should travel downslope or away from the predominant path of flames, because fire typically burns fastest upslope.

When burn dates or date ranges are forecasted, signs will be posted along access roads and near affected trailheads and trail junctions. Temporary access restrictions or closures may be utilized if deemed necessary for public safety.

Prescribed burns, especially those within areas that contain a high volume of vegetation, often produce large amounts of smoke. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is a member of the Montana/Idaho Airshed Group, which monitors and limits the accumulation of smoke from controlled burns through scientific monitoring of weather conditions and formal coordination of burns.

People with respiratory problems and those sensitive to smoke may want to avoid these areas during burning operations.

A complete list of planned prescribed fires including contact information and planned fire locations is available online at http://www.northidahorxfire.com/ipnf/.

Prescribed fire information will also be maintained on a prescribed fire hotline at 1-800-232-FIRE.