BLM plans to burn slash piles across northwest Colorado this winter
CRAIG, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management plans to burn slash piles within the Kremmling, Little Snake and White River field offices this winter as conditions allow.
These pile burns will reduce accumulated slash from various thinning projects and decrease hazardous fuels near residences, range improvements and energy infrastructure while helping improve range conditions and reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.
The public is reminded to not call 911 or emergency services even though smoke may be visible during burn operations. There are no expected road closures related to these burn operations.
Kremmling Field Office (mid-November – March 2025)
-The Mule Creek slash piles south of Parshall on Grand County Road 3. Smoke may be visible from Parshall and burn operations should be completed this winter.
-The Gore Lakes slash piles northwest of Kremmling in Grand County. This will be an ongoing project that will take several winters to complete. Smoke may be visible from Kremmling, U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Highway 134.
-The Owl Mountain slash piles northwest of Rand on Jackson County Road 27. This will be an ongoing project that will take several winters to complete. Smoke may be visible from Rand, Gould and Colorado Highway 125.
Little Snake Field Office (late-November – March 2025)
-The Peterson and Holland piles are located 65 miles west of Craig near Douglas Mountain in Moffat County. The 269-acre project contains hand piles the BLM created in 2022 to reduce hazardous fuels. Smoke may be visible from the community of Greystone, Colorado Highway 318 and nearby county roads during burn operations.
-The Juniper Mountain project is approximately 25 miles west of Craig and 5 miles southeast of Maybell in Moffat County. The 47-acre project contains hand piles created for hazardous fuels reduction and rangeland improvement for deer, elk and greater sage-grouse. Smoke may be visible from U.S. Highway 40 and nearby county roads during burn operations.
White River Field Office (December – March 2025)
-The 348-acre Willow Creek project area is in the Piceance Basin approximately 25 miles southwest of Meeker. The project is south of Rio Blanco County Road 5 along BLM Road 1011. Smoke may be visible from Colorado Highway 13 and other roads in the Piceance Basin during burning operations.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health, for more information see https://cdphe.colorado.gov/wood-smoke-and-your-health.
For general information, contact Bradley Husby, Fire Management Specialist at 970-367-3392 or Shane Pfeiffer, Fuels Specialist at 970-620-6957.
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.