The U.S. Wildland Fire Service will conduct multiple prescribed burns this fall across lands administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Southwest Colorado.
Operations are expected from mid-September into November and will be conducted under agency-approved burn plans when weather, fuel and smoke conditions are appropriate.
The burns will involve intentionally applying fire across designated areas to reduce accumulated vegetation under carefully controlled conditions.
Planned burns include:
• Cabezon Canyon: Approximately 700 acres on BIA-administered lands in the Cabezon Canyon area south of Chimney Rock. This effort builds on previous treatments and is part of the larger 4,100-acre Cabezon Fuels Reduction and Forest Restoration/Improvement project.
• Rabbit Mountain: Approximately 276 acres on BLM-administered public lands northwest of Bayfield. The area is primarily ponderosa pine with areas of pinyon-juniper, Gambel oak and mixed mountain shrub in Unit 2.
Smoke may be visible during burn operations and could linger or settle in low-lying areas as temperatures cool. Residents and visitors should use caution when traveling in smoke-affected areas and take appropriate precautions when smoke is present.
Operations are weather-dependent and may be postponed, delayed or canceled if conditions are not suitable. Fire personnel will monitor burns during operations and patrol treatment areas for several days afterward.
For information about smoke and health, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Wood Smoke and Health webpage at https://cdphe.colorado.gov/apcd/wood-smoke-and-your-health.
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