Several recent sunsets have been on the smoky side. While there have been numerous wildfires in Montana already, including the 1500-acre Sawlog Fire near Wise River, numerous prescribed burns across several states have burned thousands and thousands of acres, producing some smoky skies.
More than a dozen prescribed burns have occurred in Montana over the last several days. Montana is not alone, as every state in the West currently has prescribed burn activity.
'Tis the season. The U.S. Forest Service ignites approximately 4,500 prescribed fires each year, treating on average 1.3 million acres of the national forest system.
Fuel treatments, including the use of prescribed burns, can reduce the extent and severity of wildfires that encounter the treated areas. Several studies that examined the efficacy of appropriate fuel treatments in specific areas found that they were generally cost-effective, they reduced expedited suppression costs and lessened expected risks to local homes and infrastructure.
May is an ideal time to execute prescribed burns with generally reliable wet weather, greening of vegetation that somewhat limits a fire's ability to spread, and availability of fire personnel prior to the heat of actual wildfire season.
