BLM announces seasonal prescribed burning projects in north and north central Idaho

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Coeur d’Alene District Office intends to complete multiple fuels treatments and prescription burning projects during the fall/winter of 2024. Projects will primarily consist of broadcast burning and burning logging slash and slash piles from past logging activities. The primary goals of these projects are to reduce potential impact from wildland fire on the wildland urban interface, return the natural role of fire to the landscape, and provide for successful fire suppression efforts in the event of a large wildland fire. The following projects are expected to be implemented this coming season when environmental conditions allow:

Coeur d’Alene Field Office

• Lynch Gulch Fuel Break Pile Burning: The Lynch Gulch Shaded Fuel break located on Bobby Anderson Ridge, south of Pinehurst, ID, consists of approximately 120 acres. In the spring of 2024, crews piled forest debris left over from the creation of the fuel break. This fall crews will burn the piles to meet the overall objectives of the project.
• North Cougar: The North Cougar project consists of pile burning on 11 acres of BLM-managed land adjacent to Highway 95 and Coeur d’Alene Lake’s Cougar Bay. The project is located approximately 2 miles south of the Blackwell Island Recreation Site
• Chilco: The Chilco project consists of pile burning on approximately 30 acres and is located on the west side of Highway 95 between the Highway 53 Junction and Brunner Road.

Cottonwood Field Office

• Too Smokey: Located approximately 11.5 miles north of New Meadows, ID on the west side of Highway 95, the Too Smokey project will be a combination of broadcast burning and slash pile burning.
• Happy Trails: Located just north of Too Smokey, the Happy Trails Timber Sale project area will be treated to reduce logging slash and landing piles post harvest.
• Spruce Up: The Spruce Up project area is approximately 3 miles west of Elk City above Crooked River and will include both broadcast burning and burning of slash piles.
• Marshall Mountain: The Marshall Mountain project area is comprised of hand piles and is located approximately 30 miles northeast of McCall and approximately 20 miles East of Riggins.

Fire personnel will work closely with the Idaho/Montana Airshed Group and the National Weather Service to ensure that smoke impacts are minimized. The decision to ignite on any given day will depend on favorable weather conditions and the need to reduce smoke effects as much as possible. If smoke concentrations approach air quality standards fire ignition may be delayed until air quality improves. Residual smoke may be visible for up to two weeks following ignition, but most of the smoke from the fires is anticipated to dissipate 1-2 days after ignition.

As weather conditions allow, these projects will be implemented anytime during the fall and winter. When implementation dates are known, the BLM will post project updates on the BLM Idaho Facebook page at facebook.com/BLMIdaho. For additional project specific information please visit https://bit.ly/NorthIdahoRxFire, or call the Coeur d’Alene Field Office (208) 769-5000, Cottonwood Field office (208) 962-3245 or IPNF Fire Info Line (208) 557-8813.