NEWS RELEASE

Nov. 18, 2008

Contact: David Boyd, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 947-2832

Fire crews to burn slash piles near Canyon Creek and Prince Creek subdivisions

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. – Federal fire crews plan to burn “slash piles” this winter generated by previous fuels reduction projects adjacent to the Canyon Creek subdivision west of Glenwood Springs and the Prince Creek subdivision south of Carbondale.

Federal fire crews from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit created “defensible space” on federal lands adjacent to these communities by thinning trees and removing low branches that can carry a fire into the forest canopy. This helps reduce the wildfire threat to the communities as well as improve firefighter and public safety.

The resulting slash was piled and allowed to dry for one or more seasons. The piles will be burned sometime between November and February, when weather conditions are favorable to lift smoke out of the area.

“We’re also waiting for snow cover to be on the ground before we begin burning,” said Project Leader Ody Anderson. “We have approximately 100 piles to burn at Canyon Creek, and about 130 at Prince Creek.”

Some drift smoke could affect homeowners for a short period of time. Anyone with health conditions that may be affected by short durations of smoke should contact Ody Anderson, (970) 947-2800.

The piles will be burned under the authority of an approved burn plan when moisture in adjacent vegetation is at acceptable levels. The burn operations will occur Monday through Friday only, and will end two hours before sunset.

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