Single Publication

PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo., April 21, 2025— The San Juan National Forest’s Pagosa Ranger District is planning to conduct a prescribed burn in the Turkey Springs area starting as early as April 30th. The 885-acre Brockover-Devil Prescribed Fire project is located 8 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs.

Project area specifics:

• Location: Turkey Springs area, approximately ½ mile from the Hatcher Subdivision, immediately adjacent to NFSR roads 629 (Lower Turkey Springs) and 923 (Newt Jack Road).
• Smoke Impacts: During operations smoke may be visible from Pagosa Springs, PLPOA, County Rd 600 between Highway 160 and Piedra River Trailhead, and Highway 160 between Timberline Ridge and downtown Pagosa Springs. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. More information can be found online: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
• Why: The Pagosa Ranger District has implemented multiple vegetation treatments in the Brockover and Turkey Springs areas. This work reduces hazardous fuels, such as pine litter, dried needle cast and brush. Prescribed fire can reduce the risk of wildfire impacting communities and infrastructure under less favorable conditions. In addition, reducing surface fuels promotes new grass and forb growth, providing forage for many wildlife species.
• Closures: No official closures are in place but there will be traffic control on NFSR 629 and 923 during operations.  Forest users should avoid National Forest System Trails 305, 313, 316 and portions of 301, 302 and 323 during burn operations. 

Burning operations may take place over multiple days, but are always dependent upon multiple conditions, including personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Prescribed burns may be changed or canceled last-minute if burn conditions do not meet criteria outlined in advance.  

Maps of the prescribed burn units and additional San Juan National Forest prescribed fire program news can be found on InciWeb. For more information, please contact Brian Austin, Pagosa Ranger District Fuels Specialist at brian.austin@usda.gov. or by phone at (970) 264-2268. 

For information about the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874, visit the forest website, or follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook).

-USDA-

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