No Fires But Many Hunters in Bitterroot Forests

With the colder temperatures and a little bit of rain and snow, the Bitterroot National Forest has dropped the Fire Danger level from Moderate to "Low." At that level, most fires that start accidentally can be put out fairly easily. However, that doesn't mean you should be careless.

Again, the Bitterroot National Forest advises you to make sure your campfire is completely out before you leave your campsite. The coals should be cold to the touch. And there are apparently quite a few campsites. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report from the first weekend of the Montana's general hunting season showed 35 percent more hunters through the Western Montana check stations. So, if you're going out for a hike, wear some bright colors and stick some colors on your pets, too.

Back to fires, there will be smoke this week up the West Fork of the Bitterroot Valley. The fall prescription burning plan has over 100 acres of controlled burns in the next couple of days on the Bitterroot National Forest south of Painted Rocks Reservoir, in the Coal Creek area. That smoke will be expected.

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A reminder from the Forest Service about jobs. If you want a summer job with the local Forest Service districts next year, the registration period is November 5-12 for the Northern Region, which includes Montana. Applications are needed for those who'd like to be firefighters, along with wilderness, trail and recreation technicians, vehicle operators, visitor information guides, archaeology, hydrology, surveyors and more. Check the application details online at USAjobs.gov and the jobs themselves at the Northern Region website.