Safer Communities and Healthier Forests: Prescribed Burns Planned to Improve the Blackfoot River Watershed
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Bureau of Land Management’s Missoula Field Office in conjunction with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service plans to conduct prescribed burns in the Blackfoot River watershed in the coming weeks, work that supports long‑term wildfire risk reduction and healthy, resilient ecosystems.
As conditions allow, crews will treat several units ranging from about 40 to 650 acres between Nine Mile Prairie and Johnsrud Park. The timing of the burns will depend on weather and on‑the‑ground fuel conditions. Fire personnel may use a combination of aerial ignition from unmanned aircraft systems and ground ignition with drip torches.
“As fall moisture arrives, we’ll evaluate conditions to ensure fire behavior is moderated and safe for operations,” said Dan Poole, Fire Management Specialist. “Prescribed fire allows us to make meaningful progress on fuels reduction when conditions are favorable.”
The burns will produce smoke and may take several days to complete. Air quality impacts are evaluated in coordination with Missoula County and the State of Montana. For information about smoke exposure, visit the Missoula County’s air quality website.
The BLM is also coordinating with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which provides fire suppression support on BLM‑administered public lands in the Missoula area.
Prescribed fire is a key tool used to reduce hazardous fuels, restore historic forest structure, and create strategic fuel breaks that can lower wildfire intensity. Removing “ladder fuels” also improves firefighter and public safety by increasing opportunities to safely engage future wildfires.
The planned treatments will also support wildlife habitat and forest restoration by improving conditions for large‑diameter Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and western larch, and by maintaining openings with native forbs, shrubs and bunchgrasses.
For more information, contact the Missoula Field Office at 406‑329‑3869.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.