BLM fire crews planning two prescribed burns northwest of Cañon City
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CAÑON CITY, Colo. –The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to conduct prescribed burn in the Deer Haven area, approximately 15 miles northwest of Cañon City, south of High Park Road, and west of County Road 69 in northern Fremont County. Prescribed burn will also occur at the Waugh Mountain, located approximately 26 miles northwest of Cañon City and 20 miles northeast of Salida, two miles south of Fremont County Road 2.
Implementation of both prescribed fire projects are expected to take place between October 2021 and April 2022, depending on favorable weather and fuel moisture conditions.
Approximately 107 acres of BLM-managed land will be treated as part of the Deer Haven prescribed burn and 28 acres as part of the Waugh Mountain prescribed burn to reduce accumulated hazardous fuel and improve wildlife habitat. Targeted fuels include ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, decadent grasses, and other ground fuel that has accumulated since previous treatments.
Both projects will create a mosaic of burned and unburned areas intended to reduce conifer encroachment in grass parks while improving forage for wildlife and domestic livestock. Prescribed fire also helps to create various stages of plant succession, which is critical to the health of fire-adapted ecosystems.
Smoke from the prescribed burns will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Firefighters will be on scene throughout the burn.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division’s website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
For additional information, contact Matt Norden with BLM Rocky Mountain District Fire at (719) 429-6584.
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.