Idaho Panhandle National Forests begin prescribed burns

PRIEST RIVER — Idaho Panhandle National Forests are planning prescribed fire operations later this week, pending all required approvals. 

U.S. Forest Service officials estimate this work to continue through the spring as weather conditions allow. USFS crews use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Prescribed fires planned for the area include:

• Bonners Ferry Ranger District: projects in the Boulder, Snow, Hellroaring, and Twentymile Creek drainages

• Priest Lake Ranger District: project in the vicinity of Jasper Mountain, north of Priest River

• Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District: from the Fernan saddle area to Burnt Cabin summit, east of 4th of July Pass in the Mason Creek drainage, the Short Creek drainage (near Prichard), and multiple drainages within the Upper North Fork Coeur d’Alene River Basin

• St Joe Ranger District: projects along the St Joe Divide, near the historic Red Ives Ranger Station, in the Marble Creek drainage, and 12 miles east of Avery, in the Malin Creek drainage

Those areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to fire.airnow.gov or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

U.S. Forest Service officials said the agency will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

Area residents can stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and the IPNF Prescribed Fire StoryMap at arcg.is/HTTHP0. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins. 

The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.