Single Publication

A Message from Your Dolores District Ranger 

Let me start by saying “thank you” to everyone for your patience and cooperation with our prescribed fire in Boggy Draw last week. We were able to bring fire across over 1,100 acres in three burn units, including Little Bean Canyon, which has not seen any fire in many years. Having made significant efforts to mitigate prescribed fire related risks to the trails in the area, we will be opening the area to the public starting tomorrow Tuesday, (5/14). Expect to see smoke coming from within the burn units for the next few weeks, especially as the fuels dry out and temperatures warm up. Please do not report “smokes” inside the perimeter. We have personnel patrolling the area and will work to mitigate any remaining hazards near our unit boundaries. Frequent smoke report calls tie up our dispatchers and can delay response to developing emergencies. We will extinguish hot spots that could be a threat along the edge of the burn units but will allow fire to play its natural role within the interior.

Please remember that any post-fire landscape has hazards and can pose risks to recreationists (and pets). These hazards may include stump holes with hot ashes, unstable ground where roots have burned and fire-weakened trees. These hazards are not always obvious to the casual observer so, when in the area, enter at your own risk, and please keep your dogs leashed.

The Dolores Ranger District continues to look for favorable weather windows to further our spring prescribed fire program. These burns help make our forests more resilient and protect communities and infrastructure by eliminating hazardous fuel build-up. Low-to-moderate intensity burns, like the one last week, create spaces where firefighters can safely engage and stop future, high-severity fires, because fire behavior decreases when a wildfire reaches recently burned areas.

Please reach out and let us know if you have questions. You can get updates on prescribed fire, as well as general forest news, on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sanjuannationalforest/ as well as here on Inciweb.

Thank you and let us know if you have questions or concerns.

Nicholas Mustoe 
District Ranger