Photo: Animas City Mountain primed for controlled burn

Eric King makes his way down Animas Mountain Trail on Thursday which the Bureau of Land Management plans to close for a controlled burn if conditions are right. The burns could occur between May 7 and May 15. The BLM is tracking weather and fuel conditions, along with firefighter availability, for conducting a controlled burn of up to five units of the Animas City Mountain project area in Durango. BLM fire specialists estimate the ignition of up to 494 acres of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak could take two to three days or more and require a brief closure of Animas City Mountain trailheads and access points to ensure public and firefighter safety. The BLM expects to use designated trails as containment lines. To protect nesting peregrine falcons, the two northernmost units would not be part of a spring burn, according to the BLM. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)