Fire managers prepare for fall prescribed fire treatments

By
Mountain Jackpot
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Hazardous fuels reduction treatments to begin this fall

United States Forest Service

 

Fire managers on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands are planning prescribed fire operations this fall, pending all required approvals. A number of slated areas include sections in Teller and Park counties, and the lower Ute Pass that could see hundreds of acres treated.

 

This work will continue through the fall as weather, fuel and air quality conditions allow. Fire managers prepare the project areas and monitor conditions leading up to and during implementation and may postpone or cancel prescribed fires if conditions are unfavorable. The forest and grassland website,  Facebook and X will provide project-specific notifications before any planned prescribed fire activities. Prescribed fires planned include the following:

                                               ·         Pikes Peak Ranger District

o    Phantom Creek, 3,066 acres—about 6 miles north of Divide in Teller County

o    Mothball Springs, 985 acres—about 4 miles northeast of Woodland Park in El Paso County

o   Manitou, 266 acres—about 2 miles southwest of Green Mountain Falls in El Paso County

o    Peregrine, 270 acres—about 2 miles southwest of Green Mountain Falls in El Paso County

o    Turkey Tracks, 750 acres–1 mile east of Westcreek and 7 miles northeast of Woodland Park along Highway 6
·         San Carlos Ranger District

o    Black Mountain, 500 acres—9 miles north of Gardner in Huerfano County

·         South Park Ranger District

o    Road Gulch, 1,470 acres—near Praise Mountain and County Road 98 in Park County

o    Obrien, 901 acres—about 5 miles southwest of Lake George in Park County

·         South Platte Ranger District

o    Green Mountain, 654 acres—near Buffalo Creek Recreation Area and Forest Service Road 550 in Jefferson County

o    Harris Park, 596 acres—near Harris Park, Elk Creek Highlands and Forest Ridge communities in Park County

o    Payne Gulch, 331 acres—south of Bailey along County Road 64 in Park County

·         Salida Ranger District

o    North Trout Creek, 1,200 acres—about 6 miles west of Buena Vista in Chaffee County

o    Threemile Creek, 500 acres—about 13 miles northwest of Salida in Chaffee County

·         Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

o    Cottonwood, 2,553 acres—6 miles north, northwest of Wilburton, Kan., in Morton County

These areas may be closed to the public for several days for public safety. Watch warning signs along roads near all project areas before, during and after prescribed fire operations.
Prescribed fires are the managed application of fire to the landscape under specified weather and fuels conditions to improve forest conditions, provide diverse habitats for plants and animals and reduce the risk of destructive wildfire.
Fire managers develop prescribed fire plans before prescribed fire projects start. The plan details the parameters, or “prescription,” that fire managers must meet before implementation. The final decision to implement depends on leadership approval, resource availability and favorable conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecast. Fire managers monitor conditions leading up to and during implementation and may postpone or cancel the prescribed fire if conditions are unfavorable.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit Wood smoke and your health, or go to the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map to find more detailed information about air quality.  When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

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