This Thursday, Jan 20, 2020, the Dolores Ranger District Fire and Fuels staff plan to burn slash piles near Joe Moore Reservoir. The project is situated in Montezuma County, in the Millwood/Chicken Creek area of the district, north of Mancos off FSR 559. We plan to burn 300 piles, weather and conditions permitting.

Smoke will be visible from Highway 184 and Highway 160, but should stay away from populated areas. Signs will be posted to notify the public of prescribed burning activity near the treatment area.  Ignitions of the piles will not start before 9am and continue past 3pm on Thursday, January 20th. There is no need to contact dispatch about smoke seen from this prescribed burn.

 Durango, Colo., October 6, 2021— The San Juan National Forest plans to burn slash piles this fall and winter generated from forest thinning and timber sales. Forest thinning projects improve forest health and wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of wildfire near private residences and other infrastructure. Thinning slash is piled and burned to remove the debris that would fuel wildfire. 

Pile burning will begin as early as this month when there is sufficient snow or rain present to prevent fire spread and will continue as long as conditions allow, possibly through April. Firefighters will ignite and monitor pile burning activities. These activities should not affect public access or use of the forest.   The Columbine Ranger District plans to burn slash piles in areas east of Bayfield in Arborgas Flats near Beaver Creek and in Saul’s Creek near Forest Service Road 608. Smoke may be visible from Bayfield, Pagosa Springs, and the U.S. Route 160 corridor.   The Pagosa Ranger District plans to burn slash piles near the following locations northwest of Pagosa Springs: Newt Jack Road (Forest Service Road 923), Four Mile Road (Forest Service Road 645 and 645.K), Buckles Lake Road (Forest Service Road 663), Plumtaw Road (Forest Service Road 634), and Black Mountain Road (Forest Service Road 661). Smoke may be visible from Pagosa Springs and U.S. Route 160.
 
The Dolores Ranger District plans to burn slash piles in areas north of Mancos, east and northeast of Dolores, and east of Dove Creek. Slash piles will be burned in the Chicken Creek area near Forest Service Roads 385 and 559 near the Joe Moore Reservoir; in the Haycamp Mesa area near Forest Service Roads 556 and 492, south of Beef Pasture Reservoir; in the Burnt Ridge area near Forest Service Road 566, north of Jackson Gulch Reservoir; in the Stoner Mesa area near Forest Service Road 686, southeast of the Willow Divide trailhead; and in the Lake Canyon area near Forest Service Roads 506 and 216 near Cow Canyon.  Smoke may be visible from State Highway 184, State Highway 145, Montezuma County Road 38, and U.S. Route 491.   Burning will only occur when all conditions of the state-issued smoke permit are met. Learn how smoke from wildfires, prescribed burns and pile burns may affect your health by visiting the Colorado Department of Public Health website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

Durango, Colo., October 6, 2021— The San Juan National Forest plans to burn slash piles this fall and winter generated from forest thinning and timber sales. Forest thinning projects improve forest health and wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of wildfire near private residences and other infrastructure. Thinning slash is piled and burned to remove the debris that would fuel wildfire. 

Pile burning will begin as early as this month when there is sufficient snow or rain present to prevent fire spread and will continue as long as conditions allow, possibly through April. Firefighters will ignite and monitor pile burning activities. These activities should not affect public access or use of the forest.   The Columbine Ranger District plans to burn slash piles in areas east of Bayfield in Arborgas Flats near Beaver Creek and in Saul’s Creek near Forest Service Road 608. Smoke may be visible from Bayfield, Pagosa Springs, and the U.S. Route 160 corridor.   The Pagosa Ranger District plans to burn slash piles near the following locations northwest of Pagosa Springs: Newt Jack Road (Forest Service Road 923), Four Mile Road (Forest Service Road 645 and 645.K), Buckles Lake Road (Forest Service Road 663), Plumtaw Road (Forest Service Road 634), and Black Mountain Road (Forest Service Road 661). Smoke may be visible from Pagosa Springs and U.S. Route 160.

The Dolores Ranger District plans to burn slash piles in areas north of Mancos, east and northeast of Dolores, and east of Dove Creek. Slash piles will be burned in the Chicken Creek area near Forest Service Roads 385 and 559 near the Joe Moore Reservoir; in the Haycamp Mesa area near Forest Service Roads 556 and 492, south of Beef Pasture Reservoir; in the Burnt Ridge area near Forest Service Road 566, north of Jackson Gulch Reservoir; in the Stoner Mesa area near Forest Service Road 686, southeast of the Willow Divide trailhead; and in the Lake Canyon area near Forest Service Roads 506 and 216 near Cow Canyon.  Smoke may be visible from State Highway 184, State Highway 145, Montezuma County Road 38, and U.S. Route 491.   Burning will only occur when all conditions of the state-issued smoke permit are met. Learn how smoke from wildfires, prescribed burns and pile burns may affect your health by visiting the Colorado Department of Public Health website https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

  

Pagosa Springs, Colo., September 30, 2021– The Pagosa Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 400 acres this autumn in the East Monument Road (Forest Service Road 630) area of the San Juan National Forest to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve forest health. The planned burn area is located approximately seven miles northwest of Pagosa Springs. Operations may begin as soon as October 4, depending on weather and fuels conditions.

Ignitions will take place over one to two days. Burning operations will be conducted by district personnel and other fire resources from the Forest Service and partner agencies. This burn unit is part of the larger Brockover-Devil Creek prescribed burn project aimed at reducing hazardous ground fuels, reducing the risk of unplanned catastrophic wildfire impacting adjacent communities, restoring ponderosa pine ecosystems and improving wildlife habitat.

Daytime smoke is expected to travel to the northeast. Nighttime smoke is expected to travel down canyon into the Devil Creek drainage.  Smoke will be heavier in the mornings following burning operations, lifting and clearing out by mid-day. Smoke will be visible from Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County Road 600, and the U.S. Highway 160 corridor. 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. Current information will be posted on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/ and Forest social media (Twitter and Facebook) on the day prescribed fire ignitions are planned to take place.

For more information, please contact the Pagosa Ranger District at (970) 264-2268. 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.

Dolores, Colo., September 24, 2021– The Dolores Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest is planning to conduct several prescribed burns this fall,  starting as soon as late September through October. Burning operations will take place over multiple days when weather and fuel conditions are favorable. Prescribed burn areas planned for this fall:·       Boggy Draw: 4,331 total acres of all planned units located 3 to 15 miles northeast of Dolores, adjacent to Forest Service Roads 526 (Dolores/Norwood RD), 527, 532, and 249 within the Boggy Draw area. ·       Haycamp Mesa: 4,586 total planned acres located 10 miles east of Dolores, adjacent to Forest Service Roads 556 and 557.  ·       Salter: 3,013 total planned acres located 7 to 15 miles east of Cahone, adjacent to Forest Service Roads 521, 514, and 510 west of Salter Y and Dry Canyon.Burning operations will be conducted by qualified Forest Service personnel, assisted by other fire resources from cooperating agencies using both ground and aerial ignition. Safety of firefighters and the public are the most important factors considered when planning a prescribed burn. During burning operations, smoke will likely be visible from surrounding communities including: Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, State Highway 145, State Highway 184, U.S. Route 160, and U.S. Route 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View. Nighttime smoke may settle into low lying valleys and the Dolores River Canyon. Fire managers will monitor smoke  and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities. 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  By reducing vegetation and hazardous ground fuels, these prescribed burn projects will reduce the risk of unplanned large-scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat.  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 burning operations will begin only when weather, fuels and smoke parameters are met. For additional information, please contact Dan Kaufenberg, Assistant Fire Management Officer (Fuels), Dolores Ranger District (970) 882-6844.  Maps of the prescribed burn units can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6288/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).

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/