Cyr residents were in for a surprise last Monday when Forest Service personnel from the Ninemile Ranger District began burning debris in the Mineral County gravel pit located up Saw Mill Gulch. The debris was from the Quart Creek Fire and was allowed to be moved to the pit with the understanding that it would be burned later this fall or winter when temperatures drop and the threat of wildfires subsided, said county commissioner Roman Zylawy.

However, a curtain burner was brought in on Monday and burning began as several firefighters surrounded the area to watch for stray sparks. The curtain burner is a large metal box with an open top in which debris is dropped into and burned.

“There are currently Stage II Fire restrictions in the area which means you can’t even mow your lawn past 1 p.m.”, said Zylawy. “This is a danger to the area, given the combustible, dry conditions.”

He and his wife, Terry, live up Saw Mill Gulch and visited the burn in the gravel pit. Terry commented that it was “an unnecessary risk with all the fire danger we have been dealing with for months. We just get clean air and blue skies and then this,” she commented on a Facebook post.

The matter was discussed with Lolo Forest Service Chief Tim Garcia, who halted the operation by Sept. 12 with the intention of finishing the burn later this fall when conditions are safer.