South Platte Ranger District Plans Prescribed Burning for Areas in Park, Jeffco

Forest Service News Release

Media Contact:
Brian Banks
720-591-9490
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South Platte Ranger District Plans Prescribed Burning for Areas in Park and Jefferson Counties

CONIFER, CO, October 12, 2022— The South Platte Ranger District of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands will conduct prescribed burns in the Sand Springs area in Jefferson County and Harris Park area in Park County, as early as mid-October and continuing through December 2022.

The Forest Service recently completed a 90-day nationwide operational pause and program review of protocols, decision support tools and practices related to implementing prescribed fire. This pause allowed the Forest Service to identify and immediately implement program improvements to ensure firefighters have the resources, tools, and support they need to safely carry out prescribed fire operations.

“The use of prescribed fire is an important part of forest management, and these projects will efficiently reduce hazardous fuels as well as improve the overall health of the forest,” said South Platte District Ranger Brian Banks. “It is important that we conduct these fuels reduction projects when conditions are conducive in order to enhance public and firefighter safety.”

Forest visitors may expect recurring road closures and or delays to affected areas during fire and monitoring operations.

• Sand Springs 450-acre prescribed fire is located at the junction of County Road 126 and Forest Service Road 550

• Harris Park 52-acre prescribed fire is located near the junction of County Road 43 and Clark Road

Ignitions will occur only when weather and fuel conditions meet established prescriptions and when smoke impacts can be managed within established requirements. Smoke is a natural byproduct of fire, and some amounts are unavoidable. However, fire managers and prescribed fire specialists look carefully at the proximity of communities and determine the least amount of smoke impact to the public during prescribed burning.

Expect smoke to be visible from Conifer, Bailey, as well as areas along the Front Range, including Denver. Smoke may also linger over the burn areas for a few days following initial ignitions. For more information on smoke, please visit: www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health .

Follow @PSICC_NF on Twitter for up-to-date information on this and other topics. Use #SandSpringsRX, and #SouthPlatteRD for South Platte Ranger District prescribed fire information.

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PSICC_NF 1 day ago:
The South Platte Ranger District plans to implement the Sand Springs prescribed burn next week, located at the junction of County Road 126 and Forest Service Road 550.

Brochure info: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1066400.pdf


Source

Forest Service News Release

South Platte Ranger District continues prescribed fire projects in Douglas, Jefferson and Park Counties

CONIFER, Colo., Dec. 28, 2022—As part of the ongoing hazardous fuels reduction project, the South Platte Ranger District will conduct pile burns on National Forest System lands in Douglas, Jefferson and Park Counties, beginning in January and continuing through spring of 2023, conditions permitting.

The names and locations of the pile burns on the South Platte Ranger District areas follows:
• Hatch – in Douglas County east of County Road 67 along the South Platte River corridor.
• Long Scraggy, Night Hawk, Osprey and Ouzel – in Jefferson County west of County Road 67 along the South Platte River corridor.
• Kelsey-Gun – in Jefferson County south of Buffalo Creek along Highway 126 and Forest Service Roads536 and 534.
• Harris Park – in Park County at the end of County Road 43 adjacent to the Harris Park, Elk Creek Highlands, and Forest Ridge communities.

“We prep these piles so they are ready when conditions are safe and support prescribed fire,” said South Platte District Ranger Brian Banks. “Our fire managers use the winter precipitation to help naturally confine the prescribed fires to their respective piles for minimal impact to the surrounding area.”
To facilitate burning, each of the selected areas have been prepared in advance to ensure safe fire operations. The piles in the areas consist of small trees as well as treetops and limbs cut and piled during ongoing hazardous fuel management projects. These prescribed burns will help improve forest health as well as reduce the heavy fuel loading that poses a safety threat to firefighters suppressing wildfires and the recreating public in the area.

Ignitions will occur only when weather and fuel conditions meet prescriptive parameters and when smoke impacts can be managed within established requirements. Ignition and burning operations may continue for several days depending on the number of piles being burned. Fire personnel will monitor the burns until the fires are completely out.

Smoke is a natural byproduct of fire,and some amounts are unavoidable. However, fire managers and prescribed fire specialists look carefully at the proximity of communities and determine the least amount of smoke impact to the public during prescribed burning. Once burning begins, expect smoke to be visible throughout the communities of Sprucewood, Buffalo Creek, Bailey, Conifer, Evergreen, Pine Junction and the Denver Metropolitan Area. Smoke may also linger over the burn areas for a few days following initial ignitions. For more information on smoke, please visit: www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health . Follow @PSICC_NF on Twitter for up-to-date information on this and other topics.

Use #SouthPlatteRD for South Platte Ranger District prescribed fire information and notification of when burns will take place.If you would like to sign up to be notified via email prior to implementation of prescribed fires on the South Platte Ranger District, please complete the form located here: forms.office.com/g/PbbEQ7DSh0 . Visit www.fs.usda.gov/main/psicc/firefor additional fire information resources.

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South Platte RD Pile Burning - Planned Ignitions
Date: 01/09/2023
Location: Hatch Piles

Patrol conducted by: Module 11

Number of piles still smoldering: 191 hand built piles.

Potential Smoke impacts to smoke receptors (i.e. highways and/or communities): Community of Deckers to the South also riverside residences along Platte River Road.

Patrol Status: Module 11 will patrol daily until piles are called out.

Patrol needs for next operational period: Module 11 will staff the project on 01/10/23.

Additional Comments: Smoke may be visible in the area and Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in burning operations. Seeing flames and smoke, even after dark, is part of normal operations. This reduces fuels on the landscape under the safest conditions. If you see alarming smoke or flames, please contact Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center at (719) 553-1600.

Good Morning,                                                                                               

The US Forest Service, Pike National Forest, South Platte Ranger District is planning to ignite slash piles on the Hatch project 01/11/2023, depending on conditions.

Please see attached map for exact location of unit.

Test fire should start around 1100 hrs.

Smoke maybe visible throughout the day in the area.

The US Forest Service, Pike National Forest, South Platte Ranger District is planning to ignite slash piles on the Hatch project 01/17/2023, depending on conditions. The Hatch project is in Douglas County east of County Road 67 along the South Platte River corridor.

Test fire should start around 1100 hrs.

Smoke maybe visible throughout the day in the area.

Smoke is a natural byproduct of fire,and some amounts are unavoidable. However, fire managers and prescribed fire specialists look carefully at the proximity of communities and determine the least amount of smoke impact to the public during prescribed burning. Once burning begins, expect smoke to be visible throughout the communities of Sprucewood, Buffalo Creek, Bailey, Conifer, Evergreen, Pine Junction and the Denver Metropolitan Area. Smoke may also linger over the burn areas for a few days following initial ignitions. For more information on smoke, please visit: www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health . Follow @PSICC_NF on Twitter for up-to-date information on this and other topics.

Date: 01/20/2023

Location: Hatch Piles

Patrol conducted by: Module 11

Number of piles still smoldering: 50 from yesterday 600 new piles ignited today still smoldering

Potential Smoke impacts to smoke receptors (i.e. highways and/or communities): Community of Deckers to the South also riverside residences along Platte River Road.

Patrol Status: Module 11/ South Platte Resources will patrol till out.

Patrol needs for next operational period: Module 11 will staff the project on 01/21/23.

Additional Comments: Smoke may be visible in the area and Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in burning operations. Seeing flames and smoke, even after dark, is part of normal operations. This reduces fuels on the landscape under the safest conditions. If you see alarming smoke or flames, please contact Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center at (719) 553-1600.

From PSICC-_NF:
Prescribed pile burning today on the #SouthPlatteRD. Fire managers will be in the Harris Park and #HatchRX locations where smoke may be visible from the communities of Bailey and Deckers.

The US Forest Service, Pike National Forest, South Platte Ranger District is planning to ignite slash piles on the Hatch Gulch project 01/23/2023, depending on conditions.

Test fire should start around 1100 hrs.

Smoke maybe visible throughout the day in the area.

Date: 1/24/2023

Location: Harris Park Unit #2

Patrol conducted by: Fuels 11, BC 11-1, BC 11

Number of piles still smoldering: 35

Potential Smoke impacts to smoke receptors (i.e. highways and/or communities): Residences along county road 43 (Deer Creek Road).

Patrol Status: Resources will patrol piles until out.

Patrol needs for next operational period: Resources will patrol piles on 1/25.

Additional Comments: Smoke may be visible in the area and Firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in burning operations. Seeing flames and smoke, even after dark, is part of normal operations. This reduces fuels on the landscape under the safest conditions. If you see alarming smoke or flames, please contact Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center at (719) 553-1600.