BLM planning annual prescribed burns: Fire crews prepare two sites northwest of Cañon City
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CAÑON CITY, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management is preparing two prescribed burns, scheduled to take place between October, 2022 and April, 2023. Prescribed burns help preserve the health of forests and wildlife by removing materials that contribute to the severity of wildfires. The annually scheduled burns will take place as weather and fuel moisture conditions permit.
The Deer Haven area is slated for a prescribed burn approximately 15 miles northwest of Cañon City, south of High Park Road, and west of County Road 69 in northern Fremont County. Another prescribed burn is planned on the north side of Waugh Mountain, approximately 26 miles northwest of Cañon City, 20 miles northeast of Salida, and two miles south of Fremont County Road 2.
Approximately 177 acres of BLM-managed land will be treated as part of the Deer Haven prescribed burn and 152 acres as part of the North Waugh Mountain prescribed burn. 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 site throughout the day of ignition and will periodically patrol the burns for several days afterward.
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 general information, contact Matthew Norden, BLM Rocky Mountain District Assistant Fire Management Officer at (719) 269-8583.
For media inquiries, contact Levi Spellman, the BLM Rocky Mountain District Public Affairs Specialist, at (719) 269-8553.
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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.