The Bureau of Land Management plans to conduct prescribed burns this spring across Southwest Colorado.
The burns are planned for 586 acres of public lands in the Rabbit Mountain area, just south of County Road 502 and a few miles northeast of Bayfield, according to an announcement on inciWeb.com.
A Tuesday BLM news release said the prescribed burns will be implemented in accordance with approved burn plans and will be done only when safe and favorable weather conditions permit.
Weather conditions are becoming more favorable for broadcast burns – when low-intensity fire is applied and monitored by firefighters across the forest floor to remove flammable material.
“Prescribed burns help reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, and restore ecological health across public lands,” the release said. “Prescribed fire also helps protect nearby communities from the impacts of future large wildfires, including potential smoke‑related health and safety concerns.”
The release said smoke will be present during the burns.
“Smoke may be visible during active burning, especially in the afternoon, and could linger in low-lying areas during cooler evenings,” the release said. “Nearby communities may notice residual smoke as piles smolder post-ignition. Fire personnel will be on-site throughout operations to ensure public safety.”
The release said residents concerned about the smoke affecting their health can check the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division’s website on how to stay safe.
Department of the Interior spokesman Levi Spellman said there is no set date for the burns, because the decision to conduct them often comes the day of the burn, when fire officials observe favorable weather conditions.
“(Firefighters) have a very narrow window for conditions to line up where they can safely execute a burn,” Spellman said. “In Colorado, the weather is extraordinarily unpredictable, so they don’t really know if they can do a burn until the morning of.”
Spellman said prescribed burns in La Plata County have created a mosaic of mitigated land, which, he said, can help slow the advance of large wildfires and help firefighters quickly extinguish them.
That makes protecting people, houses, businesses, infrastructure and wildlife habitat easier, he said.
Spellman said residents can check for updates on controlled burns on inciWeb.com or the BLM’s Southwest District Fire Facebook or X accounts.
Additionally, if a resident sees smoke but is unaware a prescribed burn is taking place, checking those channels can help clarify the source, Spellman said.
“If you check and there’s nothing on there and you see smoke, call the fire department, call your county emergency dispatch or 911,” Spellman said. “But before you do that, just check real quick, because it could be people out there trying to keep you safe.”
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
