Canyon Lakes Ranger District Plans for 2022 Winter Pile Burning

Firefighters from the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest plan to take advantage of winter snow conditions over the coming months to burn slash piles created from multiple fuels reduction and hazardous tree removal projects. Burning could begin as early as January 3 and continue through the winter if enough snow falls in the mountains.

Typically, crews are permitted to burn as many as 250 to 1,000 smaller hand piles a day at each location if conditions are met, which includes a minimum of three inches of snow cover, and one to 40 larger machine piles could be burned a day with a minimum of six inches of snow.

Piles are only ignited under certain conditions, including favorable smoke dispersal and adequate snow cover. Areas are monitored after burning is completed. When and where burning occurs depends on the conditions listed above. Public and firefighter safety is always the priority in burning operations.

The project area with hand piles ready for burning are:

• Stub Creek, located at the U.S. Forest Service Stub Creek Work Center and south of Glendevy
• Thompson River 4, located approximately 6 miles east of Estes Park
• Thompson River 3, located at Highway 36 near the Lion Gulch Trailhead, near Estes Park
• Cedar Park 1, located at Highway 34 and Storm Mountain Road, near Drake
• Cedar Park 2, located near Storm Mountain Road and Cedar Park subdivision, near Drake
• Magic Sky 4, located at County Road 74E and Red Feather Highlands subdivision, east of Red Feather Lakes
• Magic Sky 4 “Elk Units,” located at County Road 86 and Forest Service Road 501, near Red Feather Lakes
• TSI-200, located near the intersection of County Road 80C and Pearl Beaver Road
• Estes Valley – Fish Creek, located at Forest Service Road 119 near Little Valley subdivision, south of Estes Park

Areas with machine piles ready for burning are:

• Elkhorn 3, located near the intersection of County Road 86 and Forest Service Road 309
• Deadman Roadside, located along County Road 86 and Forest Service Road 260 corridors, west of Red Feather Lakes
• FSR200 “Roadside,” located near Forest Service Road 200, south of Wycolo, WY.

If you would like to receive regular updates about burning in your area, please contact Reghan Cloudman at [email protected] to get added to the district’s email contact list. Pile burning information is posted online at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4648/.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.