HELENA — The U.S. Forest Service conducted prescribed burns on Friday off Oro Fino Gulch Drive, out near Unionville.
“Especially within the wildland-urban interface they’re reducing that fuel loading especially this close to town. So, if there were a wildfire to come through it would have a really hard time moving through these prescribed burn units just because they’ve already been treated,” says Fire Management Officer for the Helena Ranger District, Mike Kaiser.
These prescribed burns help to prevent and mitigate wildfires. On Friday, fire crews were doing what they call a broadcast burn.
These burns come after they’ve already set burn piles aflame during previous prescribed burns. Broadcast burning sets the forest floor aflame, taking away fuel from possible future wildfires.
This burns up grasses, fallen branches, and other small shrubs. This can help promote growth among grasses, native plants, and trees.
“Putting fire back into this landscape is extremely important for the ecological health,” says Kaiser.
This is especially important for the area. A wildfire south or southwest of Helena could be detrimental to homes as many sit within that wildland urban interface. The area is also not too far from one of the city’s main drinking water sources.
“The way that fire can move through these fuel types it makes all of these treatments that we’re doing extremely important just because of the amount of houses that are scattered throughout the south hills,” says Kaiser.
