Single Publication

BLM Tres Rios Field Office plans to initiate prescribed pile burning on BLM-managed lands in the Grandview and West Dolores Rim project areas on February 1st and 2nd, if all conditions allow.  

Grandview piles are located approximately 2 miles southeast of downtown Durango, CO and 2 miles west of Mercy Hospital in La Plata County in the Grandview and 3 Springs area. Piles are composed of pinyon-juniper slash from a 247-acre big game habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction project. Smoke permit requirements, clearing index, and fire effects will determine if firefighters burn up to 2,000 piles in the area. Smoke will be visible south of Durango and from Highways 160 and 550, please do not report. 

West Dolores Rim piles are located 6 miles east of Dove Creek, CO, and Highway 491in Dolores County. The project area covers 15 acres near the Dolores Canyon Overlook. Based on smoke permit requirements and clearing index; firefighters plan to burn approximately 20 piles of ponderosa pine slash from a hazardous fuel’s reduction project. Smoke may be visible from Dove Creek, CO, and Highway 491.

The project areas have detailed burn plans that outline the parameters for prescribed burning and contain specific criteria regarding weather conditions and air quality that must be met to ensure control of the burn, as well as minimizing the potential smoke impact to local communities. 

While smoke may be visible in the area at times, most of the smoke will lift and dissipate during the warmest parts of the day. Expect visible smoke in the areas for several days after each burn is completed as vegetation in the interior continues to smolder. 

For more information on smoke, visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

For information on prescribed burns, visit the Southwest District BLM Prescribed Fire InciWeb page (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7852/) or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit).