| Date: September 8, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fall Burning to Begin on the Krassel and McCall Ranger Districts
McCall, ID – The Krassel and McCall Ranger Districts of the Payette National Forest may be conducting prescribed burns near Yellow Pine and Paddy Flat, as early as October 1st of this year.
The exact start date and end date of the burning will depend on weather conditions. Fire managers hope to ignite approximately 150 acres of piles in the Paddy Flat area and 50 acres of piles in the Yellow Pine area as part of the District’s fall prescribed fire program, which is aimed at wildland/urban interface defensibility, reducing fuel accumulations, restoring ecosystems and improving wildlife habitat.
The locations of the burning include:
- Paddy Flat, approximately 12 miles Southeast of McCall, legal location is T17N R4E sections 13-15 & 23-28. Smoke may be visible from the community of McCall and surrounding areas.
- Yellow Pine, within 3 miles of the community, legal location is T19N, R7E sections 23-26 and T19N, R8E sections 19-22 & 30. Smoke will be visible from Yellow Pine and surrounding areas.
Prescribed burning is subject to air quality regulations. All fall prescribed burning would be subject to approval from the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group. Careful planning (prescription development) and participation in the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group will reduce the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality by restricting prescribed burning to conditions when smoke dispersal would be optimal. Fire managers ignite prescribed fires when weather conditions allow for optimal smoke dispersal, but smoke is to be expected during prescribed burning and the public is advised to avoid these areas. Signs will be posted in the areas where burning will take place to inform campers and recreationists of ongoing operations. The burning will be accomplished by hand ignition.
Some amount of smoke will likely persist after ignition as pockets of larger fuels continue to smolder. For more information, please contact Paul Klasner or Sam Hescock at the Krassel Ranger District at (208) 634-0630 or (208) 634-0610.
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