Welcome to rxfire.com – your source of information about the use of prescribed fire by the Idaho Department of Lands Southwest Idaho Forest Protective District, the Bureau of Land Management Lower Snake River District, and the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National Forests.
Our goal is to provide you with the most current information about the status of prescribed fires during the spring and fall burning seasons. Since prescribed fires must be ignited under certain weather conditions, it is difficult to predict exactly when they will be started. We encourage you to check this website daily between March 1 and June 15 and between October 1 and November 15 for the current status of planned prescribed fires.
Posted by admin - February 17, 2012 - Fire Update, News
Lowman, ID – Fire personnel with the Boise National Forest Lowman Ranger District are planning to start their early annual prescribed burn program in the upcoming weeks as the winter snow pack recedes in the mountains.
They initial plan is to burn 82 acres around the Pine Flats campground which involves igniting accumulated pine needles and duff around “tree wells” (the snow free area beneath large ponderosa pine). This restores fires ecological process in a safer manner. Burning while the trees are dormant helps remove the buildup of fuel that can make the large ponderosa pine trees vulnerable to fine root damage in the event of a hotter summer wildfire.
A site-specific burn plan has been developed to address potential smoke management concerns and establish mitigations. Signs will be posted on roads and trails near the burn area to notify travelers when burning is in progress. Pine Flats campground will be closed during the burning operation and for up to a week following ignition.
Burning is conducted when there is favorable atmospheric ventilation and wind to minimize smoke impacts to local communities. Local residents and forest visitors may notice drift smoke from these prescribed burn projects for a few days following ignition, particularly in the evening hours. Those who feel they are particularly sensitive to smoke and wish to be notified before implementation should contact the Lowman Ranger District office as soon as possible.
For more information on this spring’s burning program, contact Rebecca Swenson at the Lowman Ranger District (208-259-3361). The Boise National Forest Prescribed Fire Website at www.rxfire.com has more detailed information, and the Prescribed Fire Hotline @ 208-373-4208 has daily or weekly updates.
Posted by admin - November 30, 2011 - Fire Update, News
The Idaho City Ranger District is planning to burn 12 landing piles on the Idaho City Ranger District on December 1st, 2011.
These landings are concentrated in three areas:
- Mores South/Granite Creek – appx. 2 miles up the 327 Rd. (Granite Creek Rd.), approximately 3.5 miles East of Idaho City.
- Star Ranch – 1 mile SW of Placerville
- Point Timber Sale/Grimes Creek – appx. 7 miles SW of Idaho City on Grimes Creek Rd.
Posted by admin - November 29, 2011 - Fire Update, News, Weather
Lowman, ID – Fire managers on the Boise National Forest Lowman Ranger District plan to conduct late fall and winter prescribed burning to enhance whitebark pine restoration.
Burning will take place in the Scott Mountain and Cache Creek areas. The planned burning is specialized and specific. Forest personnel will torch single and groups of subalpine fir trees to reduce the fuel around healthy whitebark pine and create openings for future whitebark pine regeneration. Tree torching is one phase in the whitebark pine restoration process.
The primary objective of the prescribed burns are to reduce the existing wildland fire hazard, thereby reducing potential negative effects from future wildland fire to whitebark pine stands while restoring fire-adaptive ecosystems.
Ignition of subalpine fir trees will occur with snow on the ground to enhance safety and effectively reduce forest density, create openings and decrease the fuel hazard.
Site-specific burn plans have been developed for each prescribed burn to address potential smoke management concerns and establish mitigations. Signs will be posted on roads and trails near the burn area to notify users when burning occurs.
All burns will be conducted when there is favorable atmospheric ventilation and wind to minimize smoke impacts to local communities. Although every effort is made to reduce smoke intrusion to populated areas, local residents and forest visitors may notice smoke from these prescribed burn projects. Those who are particularly sensitive to smoke and wish to be notified of these burns before implementation should contact the Lowman Ranger District office, as soon as possible.
For more information on this winter’s burning program, contact Rebecca Swenson at the Lowman Ranger District (208-259-3361). Please visit the Boise National Forest Prescribed Fire Website at-www.rxfire.com or call the Prescribed Fire Hotline @ 208-373-4208 for daily and weekly updates.
Posted by admin - October 28, 2011 - Fire Update, News
On Friday October 28, weather and conditions permitting, the Idaho City Ranger District is planning to ignite a prescribed burn of approximately 180 acres near the Alder Creek Summit. The burn is located 2 miles north of Placerville.
Posted by admin - October 25, 2011 - Fire Update, General Information
Boise, ID., – The Emmett Ranger District of the Boise National Forest is planning to ignite a 1730 acre prescribed burn Saturday if weather conditions are favorable. Ignition time is scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m. and burning will likely conclude in about 3-4 hours.
This burn will occur about 3 miles northeast of Crouch, off State Highway 17, directly across from the Garden Valley Ranger Station in the Poorman drainage.
It will be started by dropping small, chemically treated plastic spheres from a helicopter that ignite after hitting the ground. Some hand ignition will occur next to the highway, which should not be impacted. Signs will be posted for public safety.
The area was initially treated in the spring of 1997 and this is the last phase of a multi-year prescribed burning maintenance project.
The objective is to reduce fuel that has accumulated since the earlier burn. A key part of the prescribed fire program is to conduct periodic maintenance burns to reduce accumulation of pine branches, dead woody material and fuel buildup that could carry a wildfire into the tree crowns. The technique uses low to moderate intensity fire on 30-70% of the area. Burning also reduces decadent brush and stimulates less flammable young shrubs that are more palatable for big game.
The burn, located within big game unit 32-A, is a partnership project with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation who provided financial support to the project.
Although every effort is made to reduce smoke intrusion to populated areas, local residents and forest visitors may notice smoke from this burn for a few days.
No closures are issued in the fire area.
For more information contact the Emmett Ranger District at 365-7000 or visit the Boise National Forest Prescribed Fire Website atwww.rxfire.com or call the Prescribed Fire Hotline @ 208-373-4208.
Posted by admin - October 25, 2011 - Fire Update, News
MOUNTAIN HOME, Id., – The Mountain Home Ranger District of the Boise National Forest is planning three prescribed burns in anticipation of cooler weather at the end of this week.
On Wednesday, crews plan to burn about 25 acres in the Myrtle Creek drainage six miles west of Pine. On Thursday, a 75 acre burn to promote aspen regeneration is scheduled in the Lake Creek Aspen Timber Sale located five miles southwest of Pine. On Friday, crews plan to ignite approximately 65 acres in the Whiskey Campo Timber Sale located five miles west of Featherville.
District personnel will burn fuels in these three areas created by logging and thinning activity to reduce long term risk of intense wildfire, reduce insect attacks, invigorate aspen stands and improve forest growth.
Burning is conducted during weather conditions that help disperse smoke away from surrounding communities. Generally, fires will be lit in the morning and early evening hours to take advantage of calm winds and higher humidity’s, reducing the chance of fires escaping control. Valley bottoms in the immediate burn areas may be smoky in the late evening and early morning hours. Signs will be posted on roads in the burn areas to notify Forest travelers that burning is in progress. Efforts will be made to limit burn operations on the weekends and holidays.
For more information contact the Mountain Home Ranger District at (208) 587-7961or visit the Boise National Forest Prescribed Fire Website at www.rxfire.com or call the Prescribed Fire Hotline at 208-373-4208.
2011 RxFire Book
2011 RxFire Summary