The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to conduct pile burns in nine locations this winter.

During the summer months, forest-thinning treatments often leave behind branches and other flammable biomass that is then organized into piles. In the winter, when conditions are safest for removal, the piles are burned. This process is critical to maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Pile burns could occur as early as November 2022 and could continue through April 2023, depending on weather and fuel moisture conditions. 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.

Notifications of confirmed burns will be published on the BLM Colorado Fire facebook and twitter accounts, which can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/BLMColoradoFire

According to the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, “Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information visit www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.]www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.”

  • Whiskey – 3,000 piles. Legal Location: T16S / R71W / S 8, 9. Piles are large hand piles and the surrounding fuel type is Ponderosa Pine, Piñon Pine, Juniper and grass. The burn is located 6.5 miles southwest of Cripple Creek, south of Fremont County Road 11 and west of the High Park Subdivision.
  • Likely Gulch – 2,000 piles. Legal Location: T20S / R73W / S 5, 6. Piles are hand piles and the surrounding fuel type is Piñon Pine, Juniper and Ponderosa Pine. The burn is located south of Texas Creek and northeast of the CO Highway 69 and Road Gulch intersection.
  • Tyndall – 3 piles. Legal Location: T22S / R71W / S 16. Piles are machine piles of Ponderosa Pine.  The surrounding fuel types are Ponderosa Pine and grass. The burn is located 3 miles north of Rosita, 7.5 miles east of Westcliffe and south of CO Highway 96, near Mount Tyndall.
  • Falls Gulch – 500 piles. Legal Location: T48N / R11E / S 2, 11.  Piles are a combination of machine built and hand piles consisting of Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The surrounding fuel type is also Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir.  The burn is located in the Arkansas Mountain area, 4 miles northwest of Cotopaxi, CO, 4 miles northeast of Coaldale, CO, and 3.5 miles north of US Highway 50.
  • Pinyon Mountain – 450 piles. Legal Location: T48N / R10E / S 10, 11, 15. Piles are hand piles consisting of Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The surrounding fuel type is also Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The burn is located directly south of the Acres of Ireland subdivision, 0.75 mile south of US HW 50, and 1.5 miles south of Howard, CO.
  • Kerr Gulch – 250 piles. Legal Location: T49N / R10E / S 24. Piles are hand piles, consisting of Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The surrounding fuel type is also Piñon Pine, Juniper, Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir.  The burn is located 1.5 miles west of US HW 50 and 3 miles northwest of Coaldale, CO.
  • Thompson Mountain – 35 piles. Legal Location: T17S / R71W / S 6. Piles are machine piles with a surrounding fuel type of Ponderosa Pine, Piñon Pine, Juniper and Gambel Oak. The burn is located 13 miles northwest of Cañon City, 2 miles east of CO Highway 9 and in the Deer Haven area near Thompson Mountain.
  • Waugh Mountain – 50 piles. Legal Location: T51N / R12E / S 33. The piles are a mix of hand and machine built, consisting of Douglas fir and Engelman spruce logging slash. The surrounding fuels are Douglas Fir, Engelman Spruce, Bristlecone Pine and Limber Pine. The burn is located 25 miles northwest of Cañon City, CO, 19 miles northeast of Salida, CO, and 2 miles south of Fremont County Road 2.
  • Stone Cabin – 50 piles. Legal Location: T12S / R79W / S 8. 5 piles are machine built and the rest are hand built. The piles and surrounding fuel consist of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The burn is located 14 miles northwest of Buena Vista, CO, 16 miles south of Leadville, CO, and immediately east of Clear Creek Reservoir.

For additional information concerning the pile burns, contact Matt Norden, Deputy Fire Management Officer, BLM Rocky Mountain District Fire and Aviation Management, at (719) 269-8583. For media inquiries, please contact Levi Spellman, Public Affairs Specialist, BLM Rocky Mountain District Public Affairs, at (719) 269-8553.