Forest Service plans fall prescribed burns

The Mountain Home Ranger District plans on igniting several prescribed burns this fall and could begin as early as the week of September 27, 2010 and continuing through the end of November. If weather conditions are favorable, burns will take place in the Trinity Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Parks Creek areas.

The Whiskey-Campo prescribed burn is located in the Byron Creek drainage, approximately 3 miles northwest of Featherville, ID. This burn is intended to dispose of logging slash left from a recent timber sale and includes approximately 50 acres. It will be ignited using hand drip torches. Estimated time to complete this project is 2 to 3 days.

The Cottonwood III prescribed burn is located in the Cottonwood Creek drainage north of Arrowrock Reservoir along Forest Road 377. It is approximately 1800 acres in size and will be ignited using a helicopter and by hand with drip torches. Estimated time to complete this project is 2 to 3 days.

Roadside piles will also be burned along the 183K, which is just off the Wagontown Loop Road. These are piles of slash created by recent logging in that area.

Signs will be posted along major roads in the vicinity of the burns to alert drivers.

Local residents and forest users may experience some smoke from the prescribed fires, which may continue for up to several days after ignition. A "hot line" telephone number has been set up for the public to leave comments about smoke from the burns, or prescribed fire in general. The telephone number for the Public Prescribed Fire Hotline is 208-373-4208. Anyone wishing to learn more information about prescribed fire projects can also access information on the internet by going to www.rxfire.com