Pike National Forest Plans Prescribed Pile Burning Near Woodland Park
Release Date: Oct 11, 2018
WOODLAND PARK, CO., Oct. 11, 2018 - The Pike National Forest-Pikes Peak Ranger District is preparing for prescribed pile burning in several parts of El Paso and Teller Counties. The piles consist of small trees, tops and limbs that were cut and piled to reduce hazardous fuels around recreation areas, reservoirs, and private property. Some of the units had logs made available for public firewood for people with a valid Pikes Peak Ranger District fuelwood permit.
The pile burn areas are located across the Pikes Peak Ranger District. The first area is on the north/northeast side of Pikes Peak along the Pike's Peak Highway and near the reservoirs. The second area consists of several locations located north of Divide along County Road 51 and 25, along Forest Service Roads 357 and 364, and along the 717 trail between the Phantom Creek trailhead and Forest Service Road 355. The third area is located near Raspberry Mountain along Forest Service Road 399. Several piles are located near the Crags trailhead and Raspberry Mountain resulting from an operation to remove hazardous trees (killed by spruce beetle). A fourth area is located just off Painted Rocks Road (County Road 78).
These burns may begin as soon as early October and last through spring of 2019. Ignition will take place when weather and fuel conditions are within the burn plan limitations for each area and substantial smoke impacts are unlikely to surrounding communities. If burning does take place, it may continue from one to several days and may be in one or multiple areas. Expect smoke to be visible from Woodland Park as well as areas along the Front Range including Colorado Springs. In contrast to broadcast burning, pile burning will create several smaller columns of smoke from each pile. Smoke may linger for several days after ignition is completed.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see: https://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 #PikesPeakRD for Pikes Peak Ranger District prescribed fire information and notification of when burns will take place.
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