Favorable burning conditions create an opportunity for Bureau of Land Management North Central Montana District fuels program team to implement the Blacksmith/Tiger Butte prescribed pile-burning operations this week.

Starting Jan. 31, the team plans to burn about 410 acres of woody hand piles on BLM-managed lands administered by the Lewistown Field Office in Montana’s Little Belt Mountain Range, about 30 miles south of Great Falls in Cascade County. Nearby residents and travelers are advised that smoke may be seen rising from this area through Feb. 3, according to BLM.

Fuels program managers anticipate the prescribed burn will be completed within two to three days, depending upon actual site and weather conditions, according to BLM.

This fuels-reduction treatment addresses woody debris piles created by summer 2020 logging operations. The pile burning will help restore a healthy, diverse, fire-resilient forest structure, according to BLM.