Weather and conditions permitting, prescribed burns are scheduled to start soon in the Boise National Forest and continue through November, fire managers said. Approximately 2,400 acres are planned for ignition in nine project areas within the Forest, according to spokeswoman Venetia Gempler.
Prescribed fires are designed to reduce hazardous vegetation (fuels), large wildfire potential to communities, and improve wildlife habitat.
“Fire managers develop burn plans that account for safety, specific fuel and weather prescriptions and smoke management. All controlled burns are closely evaluated and are only approved when favorable conditions are present,” Gempler explained.
Prescribed burns may affect people sensitive to smoke and may impact access to burn areas and travel routes. Fire officials advise forest visitors and homeowners to prepare and plan activities around the proposed dates and locations of burns and to use caution near prescribed fire areas. Officials are also reminding drivers of firefighters and equipment in the area and on roadways, and some areas may have decreased visibility.
Information and signs will be posted on roads that access burn areas in advance of ignitions and will remain in place through burn completion, Gempler said.
The www.rxfire.com[links.govdelivery.com] website is updated with information regarding southwest Idaho burn planned within Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, Payette National Forest and Boise National Forest.
The Boise National Forest prescribed fire hotline is (208)-373-4208.
Planned Boise National Forest fall prescribed burns include:
Idaho City Ranger District
•Warm Springs Ridge (200 acres): located approximately 4 miles west of Idaho City, Idaho. Prescribed burn using hand ignition to reduce surface vegetation (fuels).
•Mores South (50 acres): located about 3 miles east of Idaho City, Idaho. This is a landscape burn (ground fire) using hand ignition to reduce fuel in the Wildland Urban Interface.
•Alder Ridge (100 acres): located 1 mile north of Placerville, Idaho. This is a landscape burn (ground fire) using hand ignition to reduce fuel in the Wildland Urban Interface.
•Little Ophir (100 acres): located 4 miles west of Pioneerville, Idaho. A landscape burn using hand ignition that will reduce fuel in the Wildland Urban Interface area.
•Warm Springs Aerial (600 acres): located 4 miles west of Idaho City, Idaho will use a helicopter and hand ignition to reduce fuel in this wildland urban interface.
•Amber (300 acres): located 2 miles east of Idaho City, Idaho. This is a modified tree well burn.
Cascade Ranger District
•Horsethief (360 acres): located about 1 mile east/northeast of Horsethief Reservoir. This burn involves helicopter and hand ignition to reduce fuels over the area.
•Westside Restoration Unit 39 and 40 (consist of 25 acres each): This project is located on National Forest System (NFS) road 435 along West Mountain. It is approximately 10 miles west of Cascade, Idaho. This will be hand ignition to reduce fuels within the wildland urban interface.
•Amanita Campground Landing Piles: This project is located approximately 25 miles west/northwest of Cascade along the West Mountain road. It will be pile burning for one day.
•Administrative sites: Slash piles will be ignited in the following locations: Warm Lake, Yellow Pine, Landmark and Crawford. It will be pile burning for two days.
Mountain Home Ranger District
•Cottonwood II Rx (1000 acres): This project is located about 17 miles NE of Boise, Idaho along NFS roads 203 and 377.
Lowman Ranger District
•Administrative Sites (20 acres): (Lowman and Elk Creek Guard Stations)
•Wapiti Summer Homes (10 acres): (Grandjean area)
•Bear Valley/Elk Creek (5 acres): (scattered piles)
•Long Creek Summer Homes (1 acre): (Junction of NFS roads 582/545)
Emmett Ranger District
•West Scriver Landing Piles: This project is located about 7 miles north of Crouch, Idaho, in the Scriver Creek drainage. It will be pile burning for one day.
•Pinney Slope Landing Piles: This project is located about 6.5 miles north of Crouch, Idaho, in the Pinney Creek drainage. It will be pile burning for approximately five days.
•Sagehen Admin Pile: This project is located directly west of Sagehen Reservoir and will take one day to burn.
•Williams Creek Landing Piles: The project area is located west of Idaho State Highway 55, between Banks and Smiths Ferry, Idaho. The project area is located entirely on NFS lands in Valley County, Idaho, Township 10 N., Range 3 E. Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 19-21 and 29-31, the Boise Meridian. It will be pile burning for approximately five days.
•Garden Valley Admin Pile: This project is located at the Garden Valley Forest Service site 3 miles east of Crouch, Idaho. The project will be approximately two days of burning.
