Wildland firefighters with the Bureau of Land Management are again planning to conduct prescribed burns in forested land northwest of Bayfield during the coming week.
According to a Monday announcement on inciWeb.com, the prescribed burns will be performed to help reduce the amount of flammable materials from the forest floor when wildfire danger is low. The agency previously conducted burns on Rabbit Mountain in March.
“United States Wildland Fire crews are planning prescribed burn operations in the Rabbit Mountain area over the coming days, pending favorable weather and site conditions,” the announcement said. “This prescribed fire will help reduce hazardous fuels, improve ecosystem health and support long‑term wildfire risk reduction.”
The announcement said firefighters will be operating in the Rabbit Mountain Unit 2, a 276-acre portion of the area. There are four units in total, and Unit 3 was treated with prescribed burns on March 18.
“Smoke may be visible from nearby communities and roads during ignitions and as interior fuels continue to burn,” the announcement said. “Fire personnel will be on site throughout the operation to ensure conditions remain within prescription.”
Residents can check for updates about prescribed burns on inciWeb.com or the BLM’s Southwest District Fire Facebook or X accounts.
Anyone who sees smoke and is unsure if it is a prescribed burn is asked to check those channels before reporting it to emergency services.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
