USWFS fuels team begins prescribed burn project near Winnett
LEWISTOWN, Mont. – Starting today, firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service will implement a Bureau of Land Management-planned prescribed burn about 15 miles northeast of Winnett, Montana, in the Musselshell River Breaks.
Tin Can Hill Unit B is a 2,386-acre ponderosa pine and grass unit in the BLM’s Lewistown Field Office area. The unit was last burned in 2012.
The prescribed burn objectives are to improve or maintain condition class of ponderosa pine stands, and reduce available fuel loading, ladder fuels, ponderosa pine stand density, and conifer encroachment into meadows and adjacent rangelands.
Ignition operations may continue into Sunday, March 29. Smoke may persist for up to a week following completion of the burn and may be visible from nearby roads and communities. Patrols of the area will occur until the burn is declared out.
The USWFS works to reduce future catastrophic wildfires and reduce the risk fire poses to communities and landscapes by strategically reducing excess vegetation, cultivating healthy fire cycles, and empowering local communities to reduce their wildfire risk. Learn more about USWFS fuels-management goals on the Department of the Interior website.
-BLM-
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.