No Growth Expected this week on the Long Draw Fire
Release Date: Jun 27, 2016
No growth is expected on the Long Draw Fire, and the managed fire has stayed inside predetermined boundaries within forest roads reinforced with burnout operations over the weekend. On Saturday, firefighters completed aerial ignition of the fire’s interior with the use of a helicopter using a Plastic Sphere Dispenser. The resulting multitude of small fires slowly burned together to bring the total acres for the fire to 2,142. Remaining interior pockets of green islands (unburned areas of fuel) are slowly burning out as the remaining fire continues to clean up the ground fuels within the fire perimeter. Containment today is estimated at 85 to 90 percent. About 30 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are onsite working to patrol and monitor the fire.
The Long Draw Fire was caused by a lightning strike and was reported June 21st on the San Juan National Forest three miles southeast of Lone Mesa State Park at about 8,200 feet in elevation in Dolores County. Naturally occurring, low-intensity fire, such as Long Draw, can be managed to provide many benefits: to eliminate ground brush and dry pine needles, provide nutrients for the soil, and allow more water to permeate the ground.
Follow San Juan National Forest fire updates on TWITTER @SanJuanNF