Pile burning planned near Baldy Mountain
MONTROSE, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management will conduct pile burning southeast of Ridgway, Colo. through April 2026. Crews will target approximately 600 hand-built piles on 74 acres of BLM-managed land near Baldy Mountain in Ouray County between Ridgway and Ouray. Burns will occur as weather and fuel moisture permit. Firefighters will remain on-site during ignitions and continue patrolling the area for several days to ensure containment and public safety.
“These piles are part of a multiagency project aimed at reducing hazardous fuels and lowering the risk of future wildfires in the area,” said Cam Shaughnessy, BLM Fuels Specialist with the Southwest District Office.
Smoke may be visible during active burning, especially in the afternoon—and could linger in low-lying areas during cooler evenings. Nearby communities may notice residual smoke as piles smolder post-ignition.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division’s website at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
For updates and additional information, visit the projects InciWeb site, story map, or the BLM's Southwest District Fire social media sites: https://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit and https://x.com/SWD_Fire.
For general information, contact John Wroblewski, BLM Southwest District Fire Mitigation Education Specialist at (970) 240-5335.
For media inquiries, contact Levi Spellman, Department of the Interior Public Affairs Specialist, at (719) 269-8553.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.