As wildfire season winds down, late summer and early fall prescribed burning is picking up throughout Montana.
Forest officials said prescribed burns are necessary to reduce hazardous fuels, restore wildlife habitat and protect communities from future catastrophic wildfires.
Now that this summer’s scorching heat and tinder dry conditions are finally giving way to shorter days, cooler temps and wetter conditions, smoke plumes from prescribed burns will soon dot Montana’s landscape.
Helena-area residents this week are already seeing smoke from burning operations on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Fire crews there intentionally burned several hundred acres on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fire managers on the Bitterroot National Forest are considering over 10,000 acres of potential prescribed fire treatment throughout the forest this autumn. Smoke will likely be visible at times from the West Fork Highway, East Fork Road or Highway 93.
The Lolo National Forest is also planning to conduct burns over the next several weeks. The Custer Gallatin National Forest will start prescribed treatments on the Yellowstone Ranger District south of Big Timber as soon as next week.
Prescribed burns this time of year generally take place between September and November.