Smoke southwest of Bozeman is from DNRC prescribed burn

If you saw the ominous plume of smoke in the mountains southwest of Bozeman on Thursday afternoon, you couldn't be blamed for thinking fire season was starting way too early.

But you can rest easy: The smoke was from a prescribed Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) burn along U.S. 191 near the Flying D Ranch in the Gallatin Canyon.

"As safety remains DNRC’s highest priority, a burn plan for these activities has been established, with important factors such as weather systems, smoke dispersal, and fire containment determining whether conditions are safe to effectively meet project objectives," the agency said on its webpage. "DNRC personnel will continue to monitor the burn area following ignition until the burn is officially declared out."

DNRC said it's mission is to manage Montana’s forested state trust lands "to generate long-term sustainable revenue to benefit educational institutions, while promoting healthy, resilient and diverse forests for future generations."

The burning was expected to continue Friday and DNRC said smoke likely would settle in neighboring valleys. The smoke reached all the way to Livingston on Thursday.