The Columbine Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 3,400 acres this autumn in the Beaver Meadows and First Notch areas of the San Juan National Forest to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve forest health. The planned burn area is located approximately 14 miles east of Bayfield. Operations may begin as soon as Sept. 30, depending on weather conditions and availability of fire personnel and other resources.

Bayfield, Colo., September 23, 2021—The Columbine Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 3,400 acres this autumn in the Beaver Meadows and First Notch areas of the San Juan National Forest to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve forest health. The planned burn area is located approximately 14 miles east of Bayfield. Operations may begin as soon as Sept. 30, depending on weather conditions and availability of fire personnel and other resources.

Ignitions will take place over several consecutive days and operations may take several weeks to complete. Burning operations will be conducted by district personnel and other fire resources from the Forest Service and partner agencies using both ground and aerial ignition. This burn unit is part of the larger Vallecito-Piedra prescribed burn project aimed at reducing hazardous ground fuels, reducing the risk of unplanned catastrophic wildfire, restoring ponderosa pine ecosystems and improving wildlife habitat. More information on the San Juan NF prescribed fire program can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

Daytime smoke is expected to travel to the north/northeast and to be lofted high into the sky. Nighttime smoke is expected to travel downslope into the Beaver Creek drainage, the Piedra River, and south to the Pine River just north of Ignacio.  Smoke will be heavier in the mornings following burning operations, lifting and clearing out by mid-day. Smoke will be visible from Bayfield, Pagosa Springs, and the U.S. Highway 160 corridor between those two towns. Learn how smoke from prescribed fire may affect your health by visiting the Colorado Department of Public Health website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

The forests in southwest Colorado are part of a fire adapted ecosystem, which historically experienced frequent, low intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime under controlled conditions. Prescribed fires will only be ignited when all weather, fuels and smoke requirements are met.

For more information, please contact the Columbine Ranger District at (970) 884-2512.

All offices on the San Juan National Forest are currently conducting business and providing services virtually. For information on the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874, visit the forest website, or follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook).

Ahead of the predicted active fire year, these projects reduce the risk of unplanned large wildfires
 

Durango, Colo., May 17, 2021—The San Juan National Forest accomplished successful implementation of all planned prescribed fires this spring. Fire and Fuels Management Staff from the Columbine, Dolores, and Pagosa Ranger Districts implemented prescribed fires while conditions allowed throughout April, completing operations the first week of May. Forest-wide, a total of 3,131 acres were treated with prescribed fire to meet defined ecological objectives. These lower-intensity fires reduce hazardous ground fuels and lessen the risk of unplanned large wildfires, while improving vegetative conditions for wildlife habitat and forest health in ponderosa pine stands.

The Pagosa Ranger District’s Brockover prescribed fire in the Turkey Springs area treated approximately 400 acres adjacent to the wildland urban interface. The use of prescribed fire in this project reduced the risk and intensity of a large unplanned wildfire near values at risk. The Dolores Ranger District’s prescribed fire in Boggy Draw (518 acres) accomplished similar objectives of reducing the risk of unplanned ignitions near high value areas. The Haycamp Mesa (1,162 acres on the Dolores Ranger District) and the Vallecito-Piedra (1,051 acres on the Columbine Ranger District) both achieved objectives of improving wildlife habitat. The prescribed fires on the Columbine and Dolores Ranger Districts were supported by Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative. Implementation of these successful prescribed burns is not possible without the assistance from partners.

Prescribed fire is used to meet resource management objectives, such as maintaining habitat or improving forest health. It is also a key land management tool used to reduce the risk, severity and spread of unplanned wildfire. Compared to wildfires, prescribed fires are shorter in duration and are conducted under weather conditions to minimize smoke impacts. Forest Program Specialists first identify areas for prescribed fire implementation, then follow weather, fuel, and smoke parameters in the prescribed fire plan to meet stated desired conditions.

Wildfire danger is on the rise as southwest Colorado moves into a hot and dry late spring. Stay informed of current and predicted environmental conditions such as weather and drying vegetation. Take extra precaution before venturing out and be careful with anything that could start a fire. Visit the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center fire restrictions page for fire restriction information across the state’s many agencies and jurisdictions.

Crews on the Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn successfully completed 448-acres of burning this afternoon. Both hand and aerial ignitions were used to conduct the low-intensity burn, located in the Boggy Draw area along NFSR 527, approximately 8 miles northeast of Dolores. Smoke may be present for several days as fuels smolder and consume, and fire resources will patrol and monitor both the Boggy Draw and Haycamp Mesa Prescribed Burns until they are out.

Dolores Ranger District fire managers will continue to look for future opportunities of favorable weather to complete more prescribed burning this spring, as conditions allow.

Smoke from the Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn may be visible from Highways 145, 184, 491 and the surrounding communities of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez. There are two operational smoke monitor devices located in Dolores and Mancos to monitor smoke levels. These monitors are required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment smoke permitting process.

These prescribed burns are conducted to reintroduce fire into the Ponderosa Pine ecosystem, which reduces hazardous fuels, lessens the risk of unplanned large wildfires, and improves wildlife habitat.

For more information about the prescribed burning on the San Juan National Forest, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

Crews have resumed hand and aerial ignitions on the Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn, capitalizing on optimal conditions for a low-intensity burn. After accomplishing 70-acres before a rain shower dampened fuels yesterday, fire managers are now in the process of burning an extra 501-acres for a total of 571-acres in the Boggy Draw area along NFSR 527, approximately 8 miles northeast of Dolores.

Friday’s Haycamp Mesa Prescribed Burn received rain yesterday, and resources are continuing to patrol and monitor it while the Boggy Draw burn is taking place.

Smoke from the Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn may be visible from Highways 145, 184, 491 and the surrounding communities of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez. There are two operational smoke monitor devices located in Dolores and Mancos to monitor smoke levels. These monitors are required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment smoke permitting process. Fire resources are on scene, please do not report.

These prescribed burns are conducted to reintroduce fire into the Ponderosa Pine ecosystem, which reduces hazardous fuels, lessens the risk of unplanned large wildfires, and improves wildlife habitat.

For more information about the prescribed burning on the San Juan National Forest, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

 After desirable burning conditions in the morning, today’s Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn was suspended when a rain shower dampened fuels. Crews were able to accomplish 70 of the planned 946-acres today, and plan to resume hand and aerial ignitions tomorrow in the unit, located in the Boggy Draw area along NFSR 527, approximately 8 miles northeast of Dolores. 

After yesterday’s successful completion on the Haycamp Mesa Prescribed Burn, Dolores Ranger District plans to prescribe burn 946 acres in the Boggy Draw area (Unit 32) on Saturday along FSR 527 and FSR 528 if conditions allow. Fire Managers plan to start ignitions around 9:00 a.m. this morning. Some fire resources will be left at the Haycamp Mesa Prescribed Burn to monitor throughout the day.

Smoke will be visible from Highways 145, 184, 160 and the surrounding communities of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez. Two operational smoke monitor devices are in Dolores and Mancos to monitor smoke levels. These monitors are required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment smoke permitting process. Fire resources are on scene, please do not report.

Fire Managers are monitoring the weather conditions on both prescribed burns units. The burn units are at a higher elevation, therefore the vegetation is not as dry and temperatures are cooler, than the surrounding areas that are expecting Red Flag Warning conditions.

For more information about the prescribed burning on the San Juan National Forest, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

 Crews successfully completed ignitions on the 1,162-acre Haycamp Mesa prescribed burn unit at 4:30 PM on May 7th and are currently patrolling the fire area. The burn was kept under control and within the unit, located in the Haycamp Mesa area along NFSR 556 and NFSR 390, approximately 10 miles east of Dolores, Colorado.

Burning operations started at 9:30 AM this morning with hand ignition operations on the perimeter of the burn unit. Once the perimeter was secured, helicopter-based aerial ignitions were used to light the interior of the unit. The Haycamp Mesa burn area is at a higher elevation, where the vegetation is not as dry and temperatures are cooler than the surrounding lower areas that are under Red Flag Warning conditions.

This prescribed burn was conducted to reintroduce fire into the Ponderosa Pine ecosystem, which reduces hazardous fuels, lessens the risk of unplanned large wildfires and improves wildlife habitat.

Smoke will continue to be visible from Highways 145, 184, 160 and the surrounding communities of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez as fuels continue to smolder and consume. Fire resources will patrol and monitor the burn during this time. Two operational smoke monitor devices are located in Dolores and Mancos to monitor smoke levels. These monitors are required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment smoke permitting process. Fire resources are on scene, please do not report.

For more information about the prescribed burning on the San Juan National Forest, visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/