The Bureau of Land Management's Tres Rios Field Office is planning to initiate a prescribed burn in the West Rim Pines fuels treatment project area as early as next week. Expected weather and fuel conditions should allow fire managers to complete 284 acres of prescribed fire treatment in the project area, which is located six miles northeast of Dove Creek.

The objectives are to reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, and improve range conditions. The West Rim Pines prescribed burn also will reintroduce fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem and help restore healthy forests and species diversity.

An environmental analysis and detailed burn plan outline the parameters for the prescribed burn. The burn plan contains specific criteria regarding weather conditions and air quality that must be met to help ensure control of the burn as well as to minimize the potential smoke impacts to local communities. The BLM obtained a Smoke Permit, which identifies conditions for implementing the prescribed burn by the Colorado State Air Pollution Control Division.

The prescribed burn is anticipated to last two days. While smoke may be visible in the area at times during the burn, most of the smoke will lift and dissipate during the warmest part of the day. Smoke may be visible in the area for several days after the burn is completed as vegetation in the interior of the burn continues to smolder. Fire crews will continue to monitor the burn area after completion of the burn to ensure public safety.