Firefighters Plan Prescribed Burn in Palisade Watershed
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Federal fire officials from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit are planning to ignite a 175-acre prescribed fire this fall within the Town of Palisade Watershed on the slopes of the Grand Mesa.
The fire is designed to improve environmental conditions in the watershed and could be ignited as early as next week, if conditions allow. Smoke will be very visible on the slopes of the Grand Mesa from Grand Valley, Plateau Valley and I-70. The fire will be about seven miles southeast of Palisade.
“We will only ignite this prescribed fire if conditions are ideal for a safe, effective burn, as well as for good smoke dispersal away from area communities,” said Lathan Johnson, BLM Fuels Specialist. “To make that determination, we look at present weather conditions and moisture content of the vegetation, as well as upcoming weather forecasts.”
This fall’s prescribed fire is part of an on-going project among the BLM, the Town of Palisade and City of Grand Junction. Since the spring of 2013 more than 475 acres have been treated by prescribed fire in the watershed.
“This prescribed fire program has significantly reduced the chance of a large, intense wildfire that could severely impact the watershed,” said Frank Watt, Public Works Director for the Town of Palisade. “We will continue working on these types of vegetation treatments to lessen the risk of large wildfires in the watershed.”
A large amount of debris and other fuel for wildfires has been building up in this area because there hasn’t been a wildfire in a number of years. These prescribed burns are decreasing that fuel load. A prescribed fire will burn much less intensely than a wildfire, but it will still be effective at reducing fuel loads in the area. The planned burn will also improve wildlife habitat by stimulating new, more nutritious plant production in the burned area.
A detailed prescribed fire plan has been developed, and appropriate smoke permits have been obtained from the State of Colorado. Anyone with health conditions that may be affected by short durations of smoke should contact Lathan Johnson, (970) 244-3120. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
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.