BLM to conduct pile burns near Malad City to complete a wildlife habitat project
MALAD CITY, Idaho (KIFI) –The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho Falls District will burn 10 slash piles, which are wood and brush, in two separate project areas near Malad City, starting this week.
Fire managers will light the piles during the week of Dec. 4, and personnel will monitor the piles for a few days, to ensure there is no unintended fire spread in the project area. The piles are the result of a habitat improvement project in the area.
The first burn is in North Canyon, approximately seven miles west of Malad City. The second burn is one pile left over from a project that was done this summer in the Samaria Mountains, seven miles south of Malad City. Smoke from these prescribed burns may be visible from considerable distances, including the Interstate-15 corridor, due to project locations, vegetation types and burning conditions.
"The purpose of the North Canyon project is to improve habitat for mule deer and elk in the Pleasantview Mountains west of Malad City, and there is another pile of wood left over from removal of a range improvement that was no longer functional," BLM Acting Pocatello Field Manager Blaine Newman said.
This project is considered a pile burn, meaning crews will hand ignite the piles created from removing small trees and brush to reduce the risk of available fuel that could feed a wildland fire. Once initiated, prescribed burns last one to two days, with personnel and equipment patrolling the area for up to five days afterward.
