Firefighters decided to not immediately extinguish a fire that started Sunday east of Bayfield, and are now hoping to use the small blaze to their advantage.

A person first reported seeing smoke Tuesday in a spot known as the “First Notch” area of the Columbine Ranger District, between Bayfield and Piedra north of U.S. Highway 160.

Firefighters arrived Wednesday morning to find a fire that remains less than one-fourth of an acre in size as of Thursday afternoon.

San Juan National Forest Spokeswoman Lorena Williams said that the fire is burning in a unit of the Vallecito-Piedra prescribed burn that was treated in 2019. The lines used to contain the prescribed fire in 2019 are still intact, and crews will use them once again.

Rather than immediately suppress the small fire, crews are waiting to see if conditions align to use the fire for fuels reduction. The existing fire lines encompass a 1,372-acre area that is a priority for treatment.

“What we’re hoping is that this wildfire does some positive fuels reduction work and we can take advantage of that because we have control lines already in place,” Williams said.

Wednesday evening, rain dampened fuels in the area, meaning fire has been slow to spread. Firefighters will use drip torches to deepen existing fire lines by burning out fuels. However, they will not begin to do so until the fuels dry out.

Crews must also weigh weather conditions, as swirling thunderstorms threaten their ability to work.

“They’re dancing between timing and fuel moistures,” Williams said.

The low intensity of the fire so far can be partially attributed to the previous prescribed burn in the area.

“The reason that we do prescribe fire is exactly for the scenario,” Williams said. “When a wildfire either starts in or passes into an area treated by prescribed fire, it reduces the likelihood of it turning into a more extreme wildfire situation.”

Crews were already working this season to prepare the existing control lines for this scenario.

The Columbine Ranger District has its own unit involved, as well as a fire truck from both the Durango Fire Protection District and the Los Pinos Fire Protection District. Multiple crews from cooperating out-of-state agencies are also assisting.

Lightning-caused fires can sometimes smolder for days or weeks after the initial strike before the fire encounters drier fuels or if weather patterns change, causing them to flare up.

Although the fire has been burning within a mile of private property, Williams said the property has not been threatened. However, smoke is likely to be visible to those driving on U.S. Highway 160.

A Tri-State Generation and Transmission line running about a mile from the fire is a “primary protection goal” for firefighters. However, the fire could help reduce brush that would otherwise fuel a more intense and difficult-to-control fire in the future.

rschafir@durangoherald.com