The Forest Service is expecting few visibility issues for drivers as it begins prescribed burns Thursday in the Turkey Springs area about 10 miles west of Pagosa Springs.

The Pagosa Ranger District expects to begin about noon and burn through mid-afternoon Thursday for optimum smoke disperal, the San Juan Public Lands Center said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

Cooler temperatures and lower wind speeds are expected for Thursday and will provide optimal prescribed burning conditions, the release said.

The prescribed burn area is along Forest Service Road 629 (Turkey Springs Road), which begins at U.S. Highway 160 and heads north. The area is 88 acres and contains needles and some light thinning slash from a previous hazardous fuels treatment, the news release said.

Smoke is expected to be minimal, but may settle down the Devil Creek drainage toward Aspen Springs overnight.

Over the next two to three weeks, additional prescribed burning may occur in the Turkey Springs area if another good burn window presents itself, according to the Lands Center.

Signs will be posted on Piedra Road (County Road 600) and Highway 160 to alert travelers, but no visibility concerns are expected.

For more information, call the Pagosa Ranger District at 264-2268.

johnp@durangoherald.com