A prescribed burn is planned for Sunday in the Boggy Draw area, where fire crews aim to treat roughly 1,200 acres to reduce risk and improve forest health ahead of wildlife season.
Residents of Dolores, Dove Creek, Mancos, Cortez and areas of U.S. Highway 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View may see smoke. Closures for several roads and trails near and at Boggy Draw will last through May 2, unless rescinded sooner if hazards are mitigated.
San Juan National Forest’s Dolores Ranger District plans to carry out the burn project as part of a broader mitigation effort of up to 4,107 acres the Forest Service hopes to cover this spring and fall.
The work depends on weather and ground conditions.
Sunday’s operation is focused on about 4 to 8 miles northeast of Dolores, along National Forest Service roads 526 and 527. Lorena Williams, a spokesperson for the Forest Service, said crews plan to use aerial ignition by helicopter, so the public can expect to see aircraft operating in the area.
“We limit ourselves in size based on the weather conditions and also based on the size of the organization we can assemble,” Williams said. “We have to meet minimum requirements for the number of firefighters on the ground for contingency resources we keep available for initial attack.”
She added that fire crews must keep enough resources available in case a wildfire breaks out the same day, rather than committing everything to the prescribed burn.
Smoke may impact those sensitive to it, with it settling in low-lying valleys into early Monday morning in the Dolores River Canyon or even nearer to Cortez.
For more information, residents can assess current risks through the up-to-date air quality meter, at AirNow.gov. Williams said prevailing winds in the spring are usually from the west, meaning smoke can push into San Juan County or even push over the mountains toward Durango.
“The thing about prescribed fires is it may only be the local community that knows the fire is happening, but lots of communities see the smoke,” Williams said. “Typically ,the greatest impact to the community – smoke wise – is the morning after.”
People may visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s page Wood Smoke and Your Health for information on protecting yourself or reducing exposure.
Be on the lookout for warning road signs alongside the areas of burns. If driving, go slow and turn on the headlights if encountering smoke on the road. Inciweb provides updates on prescribed burns.
Prescribed burning reduces fuels for potentially dangerous wildfire. It protects nearby communities and critical infrastructure, reduces overgrowth and helps forests restore natural ecosystems.
Planning for a burn includes assessing smoke impacts and available resources, evaluating site conditions, conducting a test fire, managing operations and reviewing results before and after the burn.
Williams said the 4,100-acre figure represents the total area prepared for prescribed fire this year, but it is only a potential target.
Whether any of it is burned depends on factors such as weather, staffing and available burn windows, and drought conditions, which could change quickly enough to limit or cancel operations altogether.
awatson@the-journal.com
