CRAIG, Colo. - Firefighters with the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit could ignite a prescribed burn on Bureau of Land Management lands in the Douglas Mountain area in Moffat County as early as the week of Oct. 9.
The 481-acre Seven Springs prescribed burn project area is 6 miles west of Greystone, Colo. in a mix of ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper, sagebrush and mixed mountain shrub.
Fire managers have developed a detailed prescribed fire plan and obtained smoke permits from the State of Colorado. Firefighters will only ignite the fire if conditions are ideal for a safe, effective burn.
The project is a partnership among the BLM, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and other wildlife interests to improve big game winter range within the project area.
The intent is to remove encroaching pinyon-juniper in the sagebrush flats and ponderosa pine stands, improve the quality and quantity of available browse, and reduce hazard fuels.
The public may see smoke in this area and is reminded there is no need to call 911 or emergency services. Most of the smoke will dissipate during the day, although some nighttime smoke may remain in valley bottoms as temperatures drop. Any carry-over smoke should be short-term.
People who are sensitive to smoke or would like more information about this project can call Craig Interagency Dispatch, 970- 826-5037, for additional information. For more information on how prescribed fire smoke may affect your health, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
