Blackwall Fire west of Meeker
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Meeker, Colo. – A Bureau of Land Management fire crew responded to the lightning caused Blackwall Fire yesterday afternoon. The one quarter acre fire is burning in pinyon-juniper trees on BLM land in the Black Mountain Wilderness Study Area 12 miles west of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.
Current weather and fuel conditions are allowing the Blackwall Fire to be managed for benefits to the land. The fire crew will anchor off the north and west side of the fire along the ridge top where the blaze started allowing it to burn into the WSA and away from private land. Other barriers which will aid in containing the fire are a scar from a previous wildland fire and rocky areas. Allowing the low to moderate intensity fire to take its natural course will help diversify the age of vegetation and clean up dead debris. Allowing the fire to burn into the old fire scar will also reinforce that area as a fire break.
A light helicopter was ordered to fly the firefighters to the fire area to due to the location and be available to support the firefighters with bucket drops if necessary.
No structures or other values are directly threatened. Firefighters will likely set up camp and remain in the fire area. There are five BLM firefighters assigned to this incident.
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.