After successful ignition this afternoon of a five-acre test burn, fire management personnel expect to begin carrying out the burn plan early tomorrow morning (August 20) on the Boggy Draw Prescribed Burn. "Fire effects were excellent with moderate fire behavior," states Matt Traynham, burn boss for the prescribed fire. "We plan to continue tomorrow with ignitions, totaling 2,096 acres, utilizing hand and aerial ignitions."

Smoke is likely to be visible tomorrow from the community of Dolores, McPhee Reservior, and surrounding areas. Please do not report.

For up-to-date information on San Juan National Forest Prescribed Fire Program, visit us on InciWeb, Facebook, and Twitter.

DOLORES – The Doe Canyon Fire grew slowly over the weekend and is now an estimated 90 acres in size. The fire is burning in a remote area SE of Dove Creek. Firefighters are working to protect on-going timber sales and to prevent the fire from moving down Doe Canyon towards the Dolores River. That effort is aided by the fact that many roads already cut through the area and the trees and shrubs are still high in moisture content after the wet spring and winter snows. However, smoke from Doe Canyon and from a larger, nearby prescribed fire, will continue to be visible today and in days ahead.

“We’re fortunate that conditions are right this year so that we can mostly monitor this fire and allow fire to play its natural role in the ecosystem,” says Incident Commander Brad Pietruszka. “The fire is low-intensity and is burning almost exclusively on the surface,” Pietruszka says, “and this decreases the likelihood of high intensity ‘crown’ fires when conditions become hot, dry and windy again.” Surface fires consume forest litter like pinecones, needles, and dead trees and limbs, as well as some smaller live trees and shrubs. This natural thinning provides open areas for wildlife and decreases competition for water and nutrients among the remaining trees, improving overall forest health.

Just a few miles up the road from Doe Canyon, operations will be ramping up today on the Lake Canyon Prescribed Fire. Over 50 firefighters and a helicopter will be used today to complete the burn, which began Sunday. A total of 2700 acres will be covered by the end of the day today, which should put up a smoke column that will be visible at times from Dove Creek, Colorado Highway 491, and other vantage points around the area. At night, smoke may settle downslope in valleys to the south along the Dolores River Canyon near Bradfield Bridge. The burn area will be actively monitored this week to ensure fire stays within a pre-defined containment area. As activity tapers off, some firefighters will move over to the Doe Canyon Fire, to assist there.

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 .

For more information follow us at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6398/
https://twitter.com/SanJuanNF or https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanNF/ and the Forest Website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan/

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The Dolores Fire office will be implementing a Prescribed Burn in the Lake Canyon Area on Saturday June 22, burning a total of approx 2700 acres-unit 2, located 12 miles east of Dove Creek, west of Forest Service Road (FSR) 504 and adjacent to FSR 216 and 509. This will be a combination of Aerial and Hand ignition.

Burning operations will be conducted by Forest Service personnel, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. During burning operations, smoke will likely be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and HWY 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Smoke may settle into low lying valleys, and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities.

This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning operations will begin 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.

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

DURANGO, Colo., May 31, 2019 – A recreation area northeast of Boggy Draw Trailhead, on the Dolores Ranger District in San Juan National Forest is expected to close temporarily to allow Forest fire officials to conduct prescribed fire operations.

“In order to protect the public, and provide for firefighter safety during prescribed fire operations, certain areas within the Boggy Draw Prescribed Fire Area will be closed to all public access,” stated District Ranger Derek Padilla. “We plan to implement closures only where necessary, and in the least amount of time needed to safely complete the prescribed fire operations.”

The first area targeted for burning will include approximately 1500 acres in Units 1 – 13 in the southern portion, east of Boggy Draw Trailhead. Prescribed fire operations for this section are expected to begin Wednesday June 5th, and take 4 – 6 days to accomplish. Each day’s anticipated closure area map can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

Additional sections will be targeted when conditions allow. Detailed information regarding the Forest Closure Order, and a map can be found online:
Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd628526.pdf
Map of entire closure area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd628528.pdf

Those planning to visit the Boggy Draw area are encouraged to call the Dolores Ranger District office (970) 882-7296 a few days prior to their visit for current status. Efforts will be made to minimize impacts to recreation activities during prescribed fire operations.

Dispersed camping, hiking, biking, horseback and OHV riding will be available nearby. Visitors should expect to see and smell smoke when recreating near prescribed fire operations. Fire personnel will work with visitors on site in the event of a closure, to help accommodate them during prescribed fire operations.

“We know that visitors, and the local communities, are affected by our management decisions. We strive to find a balance in the program that addresses public concerns while returning natural fire to the landscape, reducing the risk of larger unwanted fires, and achieving ecological benefits,” stated Padilla.

Prescribed Fire operations will take place over multiple days when weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Both hand and aerial ignition methods may be utilized. Operations will be conducted by Forest Service personnel, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies.

During prescribed fire operations, smoke will likely be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and HWY 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Smoke may settle into low lying valleys such as the Dolores River Canyon and west fork of the Dolores River overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities.
This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat. For additional information, please contact Matt Traynham, Assistant Fire Management Officer (Fuels), Dolores Ranger District (970) 882-6838.

Additional information 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

The South Carver Burn Unit 5 will be burned today for a total of 193 acres. The South Carver Unit is located on Haycamp Mesa, east and south of FSR 556 and north of FSR 557.

During prescribed fire operations, smoke will likely be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and HWY 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Smoke may settle into low lying valleys, and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities. For additional information, please contact Matt Traynham, Assistant Fire Management Officer (Fuels), Dolores Ranger District (970) 882-6838.

The Dolores Ranger District will be burning May 6-7, 2019. South Carver Burn Units 2 & 9 for 544 total acres.

The Dolores Ranger District is planning a prescribed burn for the South Carver Units 6 and 8. Sunday 4/28/2019 weather permitting.

PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo., April 16, 2019 – Fire officials on the Pagosa Ranger District in San Juan National Forest will conduct prescribed fire operations in Chimney Rock National Monument as early as April 22, 2019. Less than 100 acres across three burn units are planned. Actual ignition days will depend on weather and fuel conditions, and is expected to continue over multiple days.

This effort is part of a larger hazardous fuels reduction project inside the Monument that involved both mechanical treatment and prescribed fire. Some of the over story vegetation was thinned, piled, and burned in 2009 – 2010, followed by an understory burn operation from 2011 – 2014. Vegetation consists of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, grass and pinyon/juniper.

Prescribed fire operations will be conducted by Forest Service personnel, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. The purpose is to reduce hazardous ground fuels, reduce the risk of unplanned large scale wildfires, restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat.

Smoke will be visible from U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 151. Prescribed fires will only be ignited when all weather, fuels and smoke requirements are met. For additional information, please contact Fred Ellis, Assistant Fire Management Officer (Fuels), Pagosa Ranger District (970) 264-1541.

Current information and maps of prescribed fire units in the San Juan National Forest can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please go to:

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

Dolores, Colo., April 11, 2019 –The Dolores Ranger District, San Juan National Forest is planning to conduct several prescribed burns starting in mid-May. Burning operations will take place over multiple days when weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Both hand and aerial ignition methods may be utilized, and continue throughout the summer and into fall based on conditions.

Project areas identified for burn implementation are;
- Lake Canyon, 2700 acres, located 12 miles east of Dove Creek, west of Forest Service Road (FSR) 504 and adjacent to FSR 216 and 509.
- Boggy Draw, 6127 acres along FSR 526, 527, 528 and 529.
- Haycamp Mesa, 3400 acres, east and south of FSR 556 and north of FSR 557.

Burning operations will be conducted by Forest Service personnel, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. During burning operations, smoke will likely be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and HWY 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Smoke may settle into low lying valleys, and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities.

This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning operations will begin 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.