Dolores Ranger District Plans to Burn Slash Piles

Contact:  matthew.traynham@usda.gov   Telephone:  970-882-6838

DOLORES, Colo., October 28, 2019 – The San Juan Forest Dolores Ranger District plans to burn slash piles generated from forest thinning and timber sales in the Chicken Creek, Spring Creek, Taylor Mesa and Lake Canyon areas. Although burning could continue through April, these activities should not affect public access or use of the forest. Operations typically take place after snowfall occurs and firefighters will ignite and closely monitor pile- burning activities.

• In the Chicken Creek area, seven miles north of Mancos, piles may be burned near FSR #385, two miles northeast of Joe Moore Reservoir. Piles may also be burned adjacent to Joe Moore Reservoir along FSR #693. Smoke may be visible from highway 184.

•  In the Haycamp Mesa area, piles may be burned near FSR #556 and #556.D, South of Beef Pasture Reservoir. Smoke may be visible from highway 184.

•  In the Spring Creek area, 12 miles north of Mancos, piles may be burned near FSR #327 and #382. Smoke may be visible from highway 184.

•  In the Taylor Mesa Area, eight miles northeast of the confluence of the Dolores and West Dolores Rivers, piles may be burned near FSR #547 and Fox Den Creek. Smoke may be visible along highway 145.

•  In the Lake Canyon Area, 10 miles east of Dove Creek, piles may be burned near FSR #504/505 near Big Water Spring, FSR #509 near Glade Point, and FSR #506 near Cow Canyon. Smoke may be visible from highway 491.

For additional information, please contact the Dolores District Office at 970 882-7296.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please go to: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For information on prescribed burns, wildfires and fire restrictions on the San Juan National Forest, call 970 247-4874, visit the Forest Website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan/ , or follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SanJuanNF

Prescribed burning operations are now complete in both the Pargin Prescribed Burn and the Brockover Prescribed Burn on the San Juan National Forest

The Columbine Ranger District has completed prescribed burn activities in the Pargin Prescribed Burn, located east of Bayfield Colorado. Aerial ignitions and hand lighting over three days accomplished 5725 acres of prescribed burning. Smoke will likely continue to be visible at times from Bayfield and along Hwy. 160, and will likely settle in low lying areas tonight. For more information, please contact the Columbine Ranger District at 970-884-2512.

Yesterday, the Pagosa Ranger District completed prescribed fire operations in the Brockover Prescribed Burn unit, in the Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa area west of Pagosa Springs. Smoke will be visible from U.S. Highway 160, Bayfield, and the upper Piedra area. Smoke is expected to move northeast, but will settle into lower lying areas at night. For more information, contact the Pagosa Ranger District Office at 970-264-2268.

After completing the planned ignitions, firefighters will remain on scene to patrol and monitor the perimeter as long as necessary.

Ponderosa pine forests are a fire adapted ecosystem, which historically experienced frequent, low intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime under controlled conditions, reduce the risk of future wildfires, and improve wildlife habitat.

On the Columbine Ranger District, approximately 700 acres in the Vallecito-Piedra prescribed burn unit are planned for aerial ignitions using a Type 3 helicopter tomorrow Tuesday September 10th. Favorable weather conditions are forecast. This would complete planned prescribed burn operations for the southern portion of Vallecito-Piedra 1 burn units.

BAYFIELD, Co., September 6, 2019 –After test-firing the unit on Thursday, more than 75 firefighters successfully implemented 60 acres of prescribed burning in the southern portion of the Vallecito-Piedra (VP) Prescribed Burn Unit 1 in the First Notch area. This burn will set the stage for prescribed burning through the weekend and beyond, as fire management personnel experienced good burning conditions throughout the day. We expect to continue burning the lower elevation portions of the VP Unit 1.

On Saturday, firefighters will continue hand ignitions on the southeastern portion of the unit. This will help ensure the burn stays within established control lines and maintain desired fire effects. Sunday, firefighters expect to complete the southern portion of the burn with both hand and aerial (helicopter) ignitions, implementing a total of approximately 1,400 acres of prescribed burn. After completing the planned ignitions, firefighters will remain on scene to patrol and monitor the perimeter as long as necessary.

Smoke will likely be visible well into next week, usually settling into low-lying areas at night, potentially causing visibility impacts to the south and east at times. The smoke will dissipate through the afternoon.

As with any prescribed fire, the fire area can be dangerous to the public and to firefighters. Forest users are asked to stay out of the burned area, and to be vigilant for fire traffic, falling trees, and other hazards when traveling down FS620.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

Up-to-date information on the San Juan National Forest Prescribed Burn Program can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/.

Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanNF/ and on the Forest Website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan/.

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PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo, September 6, 2019 – The Pagosa Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 1,500 acres in the Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa area west of Pagosa Springs, CO. The units are between the Newt Jack Trail and the TriState powerline. Operations may begin September 10, 2019. The actual dates of operations will be dependent on weather and fuels conditions.

Ignition operations may take place over several consecutive days. The units consist of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak and grass. The area has received previous fuels-reduction treatments. This Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa project expands upon previous prescribed fires. It is part of an overall fuels reduction project involving both mechanical treatment and prescribed fire covering approximately 5,000 acres.

Burning operations will be conducted by district personnel and other fire resources from the San Juan National Forest, other Forest Service units and cooperating agencies. The purpose is to reduce hazardous ground fuels, reduce the risk of unplanned catastrophic wildfire, restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat.

Smoke will be visible from U.S. Highway 160, the Town of Pagosa Springs, Aspen Springs and the upper Piedra area. Smoke is expected to move northeast, but will settle into lower lying areas at night.

Ponderosa pine forests are 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 additional information, please contact the Pagosa Ranger District at 970-264-2268.

Smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires may affect your health. For more information, please go to: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

The following links are for smoke monitors in the Pagosa Lakes area: https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/rawMAIN4.pl?ids456+20+08+19+M https://www.purpleair.com/map?#8.8/37.1528/-106.7232

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Vallecito-Piedra (VP) Unit 1
The VP Unit 1 prescribed burn encompasses a total of 5,771 acres between Beaver Creek Road and First Notch Road, north of highway 160 between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs.

Pargin
The Pargin prescribed burn covers just under 5675 acres south of highway 160 between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs. This unit was last burned in 2016.

The VP Unit 1 prescribed burn will begin Thursday, September 5 weather permitting. The project will take about a week. Crews will begin work on the Pargin prescribed burn after completing VP Unit 1. The Pargin prescribed burn will also take about a week.

Reintroduction of prescribed burning is necessary to improve and restore vegetative conditions. The prescribed burns will improve habitat for deer and elk by encouraging re-sprouting of oak and allowing sunlight to stimulate the growth of grasses and forbs. These projects are also designed to improve the health of ponderosa pine stands by reducing competition from Gambel oak, removing ground litter to expose mineral soil for seed germination, and releasing natural minerals and nutrients into the soil. Prescribed burning also reduces the ladder fuels that can carry fire into the canopy, killing mature trees.

Daytime smoke is expected to travel to the north/northeast and to be lofted high into the atmosphere. However, nighttime smoke will 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. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For more information call 970-884-2512. Up-to-date information on the San Juan National Forest Prescribed Burn Program can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/.

Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanNF/ and on the Forest Website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan/.

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Boggy Draw Prescribed Fire Update

DOLORES, Colo., August 21st, 2019 –The Dolores Ranger District, San Juan National Forest successfully conducted a 2,096-acre prescribed burn in the House Creek area yesterday (Boggy Draw, Unit 35). Burning operations were completed in one day as opposed to multiple days. This was done to minimize duration of smoke impacts to the surrounding communities during favorable weather and fuel conditions. Fire personnel utilized both hand and aerial ignition methods. The completed prescribed burn, located just south of the 2018 Plateau Fire, will provide a further reduction in hazardous fuels near private lands.

Prescribed fires are carefully planned events, taking multiple environmental factors into account including but not limited to: Temperature, relative humidity, wind speed limitations and direction, and fuel moisture levels. Smoke management permits are required and monitored by The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Timing: Although Spring and late Fall are typically the time of year for prescribed fires when environmental and weather conditions are in alignment to meet prescribed fire objectives, weather patterns change and sometimes offer favorable burning conditions outside of the normal months for implementing prescribed fire. Because a good plan was in place ahead of time, fire management personnel on the Dolores Ranger District took advantage of these favorable burning conditions and decided to implement the prescription.

This effort successfully reduced hazardous ground fuels and lessened the risk of unplanned large-scale wildfire. This work will help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning operations will begin again only when weather, fuels and smoke parameters are met. For additional information, please contact Matt Traynham, Assistant Fire Management Officer (Fuels), Dolores Ranger District (970) 882-6838 or visit our Website at: www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan, or follow the San Juan National Forest on Twitter @SanJuanNF and on Facebook at facebook.com/SanJuanNF/.

Future updates and maps of the prescribed burn units can be found on Inciweb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. More information can be found online: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

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Though ignitions on the Boggy Draw Unit 35 Prescribed Burn have completed, fire management personnel are still on site. Work today includes monitoring the burn perimeter for potential spotting, mop-up along the edges, and evaluating fire effects.

Objectives of this work include reduced hazardous ground fuels, reduced risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, restored ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improved wildlife habitat.

Members of the public should remain vigilant when travelling and recreating in the Boggy Draw area (526 road corridor and connected roads, between Dolores and the Boggy Draw Unit 35), as fire vehicles and personnel are working and traveling along the roadways.

Fire Personnel Implement 2,100 Acres of Prescribed Burn at Boggy Draw, Unit 35

DOLORES, Colo., Date – August 20, 2019

Fire personnel completed the first full day of burning for the Fall Prescribed Burning Program on the San Juan National Forest. The Unit, Boggy Draw Unit 35, was ignited at 5:00 AM by firefighters on the ground with drip torches, followed up later in the morning and continuing through the late afternoon by aerial ignitions dropped from a helicopter. Upon completion of aerial work, personnel on the ground continued lighting with drip torches, lining the entire unit.

A plume was visible through much of the day, sending smoke eastward and affecting some communities in the short-term. Smoke will be visible for the next few days, likely settling in valleys and drainages overnight, and dissipating gradually over several days. This burning that was accomplished today will help reduce long-term smoke. No further ignitions are planned on this specific unit, as the next few days will consist of monitoring the burn. The Forest Service obtained a smoke permit by the State of Colorado, which manages air quality.

Up-to-date information on the Prescribed Burning Program can be found on InciWeb at:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/.

Smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires may affect your health. For more information, please go to:

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.