BLM Plans Pile Burns North of Buena Vista
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CAÑON CITY, Colo - The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to conduct pile burns north of Buena Vista, near Mt. Harvard Estates this fall and winter. The burns will be located 5.5 miles north of Buena Vista, Colo., ½ mile east of U.S. Highway 24, and immediately northeast of the Mt. Harvard Estates subdivision.
Depending on weather and fuel moisture conditions, these pile burns are tentatively scheduled for November 4 through November 6. If conditions are not right to conduct the burn on these dates, the operation will be delayed and will occur when conditions are more favorable. The operation could occur as late as March 2020.
The objective of the pile burn is to remove the slash left behind from previous hazardous fuels reduction treatments. These treatments remove fuels, reducing the risk of future catastrophic wildfire. Fuels treatments also help create various stages of plant succession, which is critical to the health of fire-adapted ecosystems.
Approximately 1,250 hand-built piles consisting of Piñon pine and juniper trees will be burned as part of this operation. The surrounding fuels are Piñon pine, juniper and grass.
Smoke from the pile 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.
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, Fire Operations Specialist, (719) 269-8583, or John Markalunas, Deputy Fire Management Officer, (719) 257-8785, at the BLM Rocky Mountain District Front Range Fire and Aviation Management Unit.
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.