BLM to conduct prescribed fire near Scipio
Project will reduce community wildfire risk and improve ecosystem health
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FILLMORE, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management West Desert District Fire and Fuels program will conduct prescribed fire operations along U.S. Highway 50 near Scipio, Utah, in Millard County between Jan. 4, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2023. Residents of Scipio and the public may experience smoky conditions in the vicinity of the project area and are reminded to exercise caution as they travel—for their safety and for the safety of on the ground personnel.
“Fire personnel have been working with fuels management specialists to thin and to remove dense vegetation to reduce the threat of high severity, high intensity wildfire to the public,” said Acting West Desert District Fire Management Officer Erik Valdez. “Crews will conduct ignitions to burn the piles of debris and monitor the prescribed fire operation with firefighter and public safety being our No. 1 priority.”
The treatment area is located approximately five miles southeast of Scipio on the east side of U.S. Highway 50. The BLM plans to burn piles of brush and trees on approximately 150 acres of public land to reduce hazardous fuels. Ignition of the prescribed burn will be dependent on weather conditions. Fire crews will monitor and secure the area to ensure any residual fire is extinguished. The public is reminded to stay out of the burn area for the duration of the project.
The BLM regularly conducts fuels projects across the lands the Bureau manages to restore ecosystems, provide for landscape resiliency from wildfire and keep communities safe. This fuels reduction project will create defensible space for the Scipio community area in the event of wildfire and provide improvements to big game habitat.
For more information on this prescribed fire and other West Desert District fuels and fire operations, please contact Melanie McDaniels, seasonal public affairs specialist-fire, at 801-320-8255 or mmcdaniels@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 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.