GILPIN COUNTY, Colo. (Dec. 12) – Firefighters will take advantage of winter conditions this week to burn slash piles near Lump Gulch Road, approximately 5 miles west of the Peak to Peak Highway. Smoke may be visible.

Conditions are evaluated each day to determine if ignition will take place. Ignitions are generally expected to begin after 10 a.m. and will cease several hours before sunset. Precipitation, wind, temperature, fuel moisture and staffing all play a part in when and whether ignition occurs. Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations.

If you know anyone else who would like to receive updates on pile burning activities in the Boulder Ranger District area, have them email brdvis@fs.fed.us and ask to be added to our email updates. To unsubscribe, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

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

A complete list of areas where pile burning could occur on the Boulder Ranger District this season is located at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4648/

GRANBY, Colo – (Dec. 9, 2016) Firefighters could begin burning slash piles on National Forest lands near Lake Granby this week as conditions allow. Depending on snow and smoke dispersion conditions, burning could occur in the Trail Creek Project, along County Road 41 and near the Bussey Hills Subdivision. This project was part of the Arapaho National Recreation Area Forest Health Project.

Conditions are evaluated each day to determine if ignition will take place. Ignitions are generally expected to begin after 10 a.m. and will cease several hours before sunset. Smoke may be visible. Precipitation, wind, temperature, fuel moisture and staffing all play a part in when and whether ignition occurs. Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations.

If you know anyone else who would like to receive updates on pile burning activities in the area, have them email krarmstrong@fs.fed.us and ask to be added to our Sulphur pile burning updates.

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

A complete list of areas where pile burning could occur on the Sulphur Ranger District this season is located at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4648/.

BOULDER, Colo. (Nov. 2, 2016) – As winter conditions settle in, the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland will work to burn slash piles resulting from fuels reductions and hazardous tree removal projects in the area. Hand piles are a result of crews using chainsaws to thin the forest, the subsequent cut material is piled for burning. Machine piles are the result of using logging equipment and consist of primarily the limbs of trees as most of the logs have already been removed. These piles must be burned before the treatment is complete.

IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 2, 2016) – As winter conditions settle in, the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland will work to burn slash piles resulting from fuels reductions and hazardous tree removal projects in the area.

GRANBY, Colo. – As winter conditions settle in, the Sulphur Ranger District of the Arapaho National Forest will begin burning slash piles resulting from fuels reductions and hazardous tree removal projects in the area. 

Hand piles are a result of crews using chainsaws to thin the forest, the subsequent cut material is piled for burning. Machine piles are the result of using logging equipment and consist of primarily the limbs of trees as most of the logs have already been removed. These piles must be burned before the treatment is complete.

Pile burning could begin in November and will continue through the spring, as conditions allow. Piles are only ignited under favorable weather conditions. Adequate snow cover and atmospheric conditions conducive to smoke dispersal and lift are necessary for burning to occur. Firefighters monitor the area the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations.

Piles that are ready for burning are prioritized based on elevation, aspect, access, and proximity to homes. See a full list of areas where burning will occur on the summary page.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.If you would like to receive regular updates about burning in your area, send an email to krarmstrong@fs.fed.us.

BOULDER, Colo – (Feb. 9, 2016) U.S. Forest Service firefighters have accomplished approximately 520 acres of slash pile burning since the beginning of December. Crews will continue burning slash through the winter and spring as conditions allow. Pile burning occurs in the best possible conditions to provide safety for firefighters and homeowners. This includes adequate snow cover, cool temperatures and wind to disperse smoke. Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Sign up to receive weekly emails about pile burning by sending a note to brdvis@fs.fed.us. Areas where pile burning efforts are currently focused as conditions allow include:

• Forsythe Project, near the Lakeshore Park Subdivision northeast of Forsythe Canyon and the Coal Creek Canyon area northwest of Wondervu Subdivision;
• Johnny Park: Near Button Rock Reservoir and Big Elk Meadows; and,
• Saint Vrain: near the intersection of Peak to Peak Highway and Highway 7.

BOULDER, Colo. (Nov. 30, 2015) – As winter conditions settle in, the Boulder and Clear Creek Ranger Districts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests will work to burn slash piles resulting from fuels reductions and hazardous tree removal projects in the area.

Hand piles are a result of crews using chainsaws and to thin the forest, the subsequent cut material is piled for burning. Machine piles are the result of using logging equipment and consist of primarily the limbs of trees as most of the logs have already been removed. These piles must be burned before the treatment is complete.

Some pile burning could occur in early December, but the bulk of pile burning will occur between the New Year and early April, as conditions allow. Piles are only ignited under favorable weather, snow cover, and conditions conducive for good smoke dispersal, such as wind and temperature. Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations.

Crews may begin burning as many as 450 smaller piles a day at each location if favorable conditions are met, which includes a minimum of 3 inches of snow cover, or up to 40 large machine piles at each location per day with a minimum of 6 inches of snow cover.

Piles that have cured and are ready for burning are prioritized based on elevation, aspect, access, and proximity to homes. Last season, these two districts burned a total of 90 machine piles and 3,700 hand piles for a total of 665 acres.

Areas on the Boulder Ranger District with hand and machine piles ready for burning are: