Prescribed fire operations begin on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations Thursday, September 18 on the Teton Basin Ranger District, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work to continue through the weekend as weather conditions allow. Prescribed fire management objectives are focused on fuels reduction, habitat improvement, aspen regeneration, and improved forest health conditions to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Prescribed fires planned for the area include:

• Red Creek Unit 9: 533 acres, six miles west of Victor, Idaho, Teton Basin RD
• Red Creek Unit 5: 441 acres. seven miles west of Victor, Idaho, Teton Basin RD
• Red Creek Unit 3: 716 acres, seven miles west of Victor, Idaho, Teton Basin RD

Watch for warning signs along roads and trails near all prescribed fire areas before and during planned burns. Hazards to the public may include rapidly spreading flames, smoke, falling snags and rolling rocks.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

For more information on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, visit Caribou-Targhee National Forest - Home (usda.gov), follow us on Twitter (@Caribou_Targhee), or like on Facebook (www.facebook.com/USFSCaribouTarghee). To learn more about the benefits of prescribed fire and the role wildfire has in the ecosystem, contact the Teton Basin Ranger District Office at 208-354-2312.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.