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Spring Burning Planned at Bass Creek Recreation Area
Mill Lake Fire
Publication Type: News 10/26/2022
Hamilton, MT, April 1 — The Bitterroot National Forest is advising horseback riders, hikers, and other recreationists that prescribed burning is scheduled next week at the Bass Creek Recreation Area northwest of Stevensville. Pending favorable conditions, the 620-acre burn could begin as early as Wednesday, April 6th and will temporarily impact some roads and trails in the recreation area for 2-3 days.
Forest officials say the closure is necessary as firefighters and engines will be working in the area, and many roads and trails used as control lines could be temporarily impacted by low intensity fire and smoke. Timing of the burn will be dependent on favorable weather conditions. Fire managers plan to conduct the burning as quickly as possible to limit impacts to recreational users and the general public.
The burn will only be ignited if operational safety, fuel moisture, weather conditions, and air quality parameters can be attained. Fire crews will monitor the burn after ignition to ensure it stays within prescribed boundaries until declared out.
Last spring, firefighters completed a 250-acre underburn operation at the recreation area. Underburning, a type of prescribed fire treatment, ignites vegetation under the forest canopy or in open grassy meadows and focuses on the consumption of surface fuels such as pine needles and dead vegetation.
Maintain forest health and ecosystem restoration - Improve wildlife habitat – many plants respond favorably to fire providing new food sprouts for wildlife.
- Reduce the potential of large, high intensity wildfires by reducing the amount of downed fuel to burn.
- Post-harvest slash treatment – reduce residual slash created by thinning operations.