Red Lodge, MT- December 5, 2022 – The Beartooth Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest will begin pile burning in the Red Lodge area beginning as soon as Thursday, December 8th and continuing, dependent upon weather, snowpack, and fuel conditions.
Piles will be burned primarily in the:
- West Fork of Rock Creek,
- Main Fork of Rock Creek, and
- near the Palisades Campground.
These piles were created as a part of various fuels reduction projects and are intended to give fire managers greater flexibility to successfully manage large-scale wildfire in the greater Red Lodge area.
Visitors and residents in the valley should expect smoke from pile burning to likely be visible from Red Lodge and Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort.
“Burning these piles is part of our comprehensive implementation plan for working with partners across jurisdictions to reduce wildfire risk to people, communities, and natural resources while sustaining and restoring healthy, resilient fire-adapted forests,” said Jeffrey Flick, Beartooth Ranger District Fire Management Officer. “We appreciate the continued patience from the community.”
For further information, please contact the Beartooth Ranger District at 406-446-2103 or for general information follow Custer Gallatin National Forest: https://www.facebook.com/CusterGallatinNationalForest or on Twitter @CusterNF; @GallatinNF
