March will go out like a flame in the Sandpoint Ranger District.

The district is planning controlled burns at seven areas to improve wildlife habitat and reduce fire hazard from logging slash.

The areas selected for the fires include the Tumbledown and Twin Creek areas southeast of Lake Pend Oreille, the Bernard Overlook area along power line road No. 2707, two miles west of Hoo Doo Lake, three miles south of Cocolalla Lake, the lower Kirby Creek area near the mouth of the Pack River, and on Antelope Mountain one mile east of Clark Fork.

Fire helps revitalize shrubs that are important food for big game animals. It also helps prune shrubs that have grown tall and woody.

Fire crews have a short period of time in the spring to burn before vegetation has leafed out.

The burning is expected to continue through May.

, DataTimes