From timber salvage work to prescribed burns, crews are staying busy on the Kootenai National Forest.

Forest officials released information about the work occurring and also issued a reminder about the upcoming open burn season.

Residential burning season is currently closed through Wednesday, Sept. 30 due to Montana's wildfire season. Even with the cooler temperatures, dry conditions can still exist creating the potential for escaped burns to create wildfires.

Since Sept. 20, crews have dealt with three wildfires on the Kootenai, including two in the Sylvanite area near Newton Mountain, and one northwest of Troy in the North Fork Ruby Creek area near the Idaho border.

Fortunately, they are all in contained or controlled status or been extinguished.

Rain is forecasted for Friday and Saturday with cooler and drier conditions during the next several days.

For open burning on the Kootenai National Forest, if located outside of the Libby Outdoor Burning Control Area (LOBCA), it is scheduled to tentatively open Thursday, Oct. 1 and closes Nov. 30, with no permit needed.

Open burns located within the LOBCA, with a permit only, opens on April 1, 2027.

For more  information on open burning, if you are within the LOBCA, or to view the burning schedule, visit https://www.fireadaptedkootenai.org/burn-permits.

Prescribed fire operations began earlier this week across the forest. 

According to information from forest officials, crews will work in the areas listed below, utilizing prescribed fire to help reduce overgrown vegetation for wildfire mitigation and for site preparation for spring planting season.

Officials will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn and if conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

People may stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. Also, county emergency management officials will be notified when burning begins.  

Officials estimate work will continue through November or December depending on weather conditions. Both underburn prescribed fires and pile burning are planned. Those areas may be closed 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. Officials recommend using caution and for motorists to slow down if smoke is present on roadways. 

For more detailed information about air quality, go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ or download the app.

Also, residential, open burn season is closed until Oct. 1.

Specific site notifications and updates will be posted closer to actual dates of ignition.

Here’s a list of planned burns:

Dead Triangle Unit 8, which is 36 acres adjacent to Highway 93 between Dickey Lake and Murphy Lake, southeast of Eureka. Smoke will be visible for several days from the highway and surrounding areas;

Rice Draw area south of Heron, near the Idaho/Montana border. Crews will be working in approximately 100 acres across multiple units throughout the course of the week. Smoke will be visible from Highway 200 and surrounding communities. 

Other possible burns in the Troy area, Three Rivers District, include two west of the Kootenai River and U.S. 2 near the Idaho border and one northeast of town.

Also, three in the Spread Creek area northwest of Yaak in the Three Rivers District.

In the Cabinet Ranger District, two future burns may be held southwest of White Pine, south of Big Beaver Creek.

Timber salvage and other harvest activities continue across the Three Rivers Ranger District. For those visiting the Troy and Yaak areas, please be aware of the following:

- Road machinery present on the Three Litte Twigs salvage sale on the Southside Road 4402 to the intersection with gated National Forest Service Road 4418;

- Road machinery operating on the Big Bad Wolf salvage sale south of Yaak on the Long Meadows Road 593, South Fork Yaak Road 68, National Forest Service Roads 6814 and 6812;

- Sale activity occurring on the Fording Forks timber sale near the Upper Ford Work Center and northern portion of the Vinal Lake Road 746;

- Log trucks hauling from the Battle Cry timber sale, traveling down from McConnell Mountain onto Iron Grouse Road to Iron Creek Road.

Visitors are asked to be cautious of logging truck traffic and heavy equipment, watch for road work signs, and keep a safe distance from heavy equipment and working crews. 

For more information, call the Three Rivers Ranger District Office at 406-295-4693.