I am worried about this.

I heard that USFS is doing some controlled burns near these fires. I just have a feeling if they keep this up one of the controlled burns are going to start another fire near the fire. Just curious what others thought.

http://durangoherald.com/article/201206 ... 9/-1/daily

“This is the last large area of fuel near the fire perimeter,” according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management. “Burning this area will make the Weber Fire much less likely to escape from the lines, bringing the fire much closer to full containment.”

Section 3 - Use of Fire in Control Operations of Wildland Fire Suppression Tactics Reference Guide may help to explain the use of burnouts and backfires in fighting wildland fires.

Just because they do this doesn't mean I can't see this becoming an issue but good info.

Putting fire on the ground is always a risk.

Is it better to burn out fuel ahead of a fire in an at least somewhat controlled manner to try to slow or stop the fire before it reaches the containment line, or to give the fire a better opportunity to really get going and increase the chance of it breaching the containment line?

Burnout strategy has been used successfully in many cases. It has also failed in some cases.

I doubt that there will ever be full agreement on this.

Same concern CG. After the Lower North Fork Fire went bonkers jumping outside its defined area, any big wind could send embers flying and they can go up to 1/2 mile to 1 mile sometimes 2 miles according to briefings by the USFS personnel on the Waldo fire.

So any fire is a risk depending on what the winds are doing.

After many fires it can be months before a fire reignites as it burns the roots of trees. Add wind and off it may go.

I understand their reasoning to backburn to try to contain the fire and I know they look at weather as part of their planning and they weigh the risks.

If they are going to do it I would rather it is with the Type I team in place as they have much more experience than the other teams. And right now when a fire jumps as it has in the Waldo fire there are more aerial assistance and boots on the ground to tackle it.

That being said I think the Waldo officials are nuts to backburn today considering they know there are winds expected from thunderstorms' outflows and more big wind expected tomorrow.

If it gets away from them they won't hear the end of it. There are already enough pissed people because the C-130's were able to save the 'rich' Cedar Heights homes but very little done to protect the Mountain Shadows subdivision.