Firefighters planning prescribed fires this fall in Eagle, Garfield, Rio Blanco counties
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RIFLE, Colo. — Federal fire officials from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire and Aviation Management Unit Central Zone are hoping conditions will be ideal in the next several weeks to complete several prescribed fires in Eagle, Garfield and Rio Blanco counties.
Land managers and fire officials are planning the following prescribed fires to reduce dense vegetation and other fuels, which should lower the risk of large wildfires and stimulate new vegetation growth that benefits wildlife:
• The 1,200-acre Roan Prescribed Fire on Bureau of Land Management lands 11 miles northwest of Rifle on the Roan Plateau in Garfield County
• The 300-acre Sheep Gulch Prescribed Fire on BLM lands four miles northwest of Gypsum in Eagle County
• The 400-acre Cottonwood Creek Prescribed Fire on BLM lands three miles northwest of Eagle in Eagle County
• The 1,200-acre Cattle Creek Prescribed Fire on the U.S. Forest Service Aspen/Sopris Ranger District nine miles north of El Jebel in Eagle County
• The Miller Creek Prescribed Fire on the USFS Blanco Ranger District 15 miles southeast of Meeker in Rio Blanco County
Fire managers have developed a detailed prescribed fire plan and obtained smoke permits from the State of Colorado for each of the planned burns. Residents and other people in the area may observe smoke during these burns.
“We will only ignite these prescribed fires if conditions are ideal for a safe, effective burn, as well as for good smoke dispersal away from area communities,” said UCR Fuels Management Specialist Chad Sewell. “We evaluate weather, moisture and fuel conditions before deciding whether to proceed, and human safety is always our top priority.”
For more information on the BLM prescribed fires, contact Chad Sewell, (970) 216-8999. For more information on the Forest Service prescribed fires, contact Jim Genung (970) 404-3150.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, see https://www.colorado.gov/
The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire and Aviation Management Unit (UCR) includes Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service firefighting resources that cover 5.8 million acres along the Interstate 70, Colorado River and Roaring Fork River corridors from the Continental Divide to the Utah state line. The UCR includes the White River National Forest and the BLM’s Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction field offices. The UCR cooperates with other federal and state agencies, local communities, and fire departments on a wide range of activities including fuels treatments, fire prevention, and suppression.
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.