Prescribed burns planned to reduce wildfire risk across southwest Colorado

Montrose, Colo. – The U.S. Wildland Fire Service will conduct multiple prescribed burns this fall across Bureau of Indian Affairs- and Bureau of Land Management-administered lands in southwest Colorado.

Operations are expected from mid-September into November and will be conducted under agency-approved burn plans when weather, fuel and smoke conditions are appropriate. The burns will involve intentionally applying fire across designated areas to reduce accumulated vegetation under carefully controlled conditions.

Prescribed fire is an important tool for reducing wildfire risk and improving the health and resilience of southwest Colorado's public and tribal lands. Treating accumulated vegetation now can help limit the intensity of future wildfires while improving forest conditions and wildlife habitat. This work is especially important as communities and landscapes across the West continue to face longer, more severe wildfire seasons.

Planned burns include:

• Cabezon Canyon – Approximately 700 acres on BIA-administered lands in the Cabezon Canyon area south of Chimney Rock. This effort builds on previous treatments and is part of the larger 4,100-acre Cabezon Fuels Reduction and Forest Restoration/Improvement project. Contact Britton Quinlan at (970) 884-4332 for more information.
   
• Transfer Road – Approximately 620 acres on BLM-administered public lands southwest of Olathe near the BLM/Forest Service boundary along Transfer Road. Contact Cam Shaughnessy at [email protected] for more information.
   
• Dawson – Approximately 220 acres on BLM-administered public lands northeast of Dove Creek in Disappointment Valley. The area is primarily pinyon-juniper with pockets of ponderosa pine in Unit 14.
   
• Rabbit Mountain – Approximately 276 acres on BLM-administered public lands northwest of Bayfield. The area is primarily ponderosa pine with areas of pinyon-juniper, Gambel oak and mixed mountain shrub in Unit 2.
   
• West Rim – Approximately 240 acres in Unit 42C and 390 acres in Unit 42D, both on BLM-administered public lands along the West Rim of the Dolores River, northeast of Dove Creek. The area is primarily pinyon-juniper with pockets of ponderosa pine.
   
• Summit Point – Approximately 120 acres in Unit 7 and 15 acres in Unit 6, both pinyon-juniper mastication units on BLM-administered public lands northwest of Egnar.

For the Dawson, Rabbit Mountain, West Rim and Summit Point burns, contact Tyler Corbin at [email protected] for more information.

Smoke may be visible during burn operations and could linger or settle in low-lying areas as temperatures cool. Residents and visitors should use caution when traveling in smoke-affected areas and take appropriate precautions when smoke is present.

Operations are weather-dependent and may be postponed, delayed or canceled if conditions are not suitable. Fire personnel will monitor burns during operations and patrol treatment areas for several days afterward.

Maps showing the planned burn locations are attached.

For information about smoke and health, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Wood Smoke and Health webpage.