Over the next two days, the U.S. Forest Service will be burning piles of debris near McPhee Campground and Haycamp Mesa.
“These are pile burns, not broadcast prescribed fire,” said Lorena Williams, the Forest Service’s media contact, in an email. “Piles are built either by hand or using equipment during forestry operations or for recreation management.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Forest Service burned a single pile adjacent to McPhee Campground. That debris was collected during annual recreation management, Williams said, and the fire was extinguished by the end of the day.
Burns at Haycamp Mesa on Feb. 13 will be over a “very large area,” said Williams.
There are “150 small and medium-sized piles are across roughly 60 acres” up there, leftover from the sale of Lucky Jack timber, said Williams.
“The incoming winter storm creates ideal conditions because we extinguish the piles by end of shift prior to snowfall,” Williams said. “Snow currently on the ground further limits spread during the burn operations.”
An emergency alert from Montezuma County’s system around 11 a.m. on Feb. 12 said “Fire crews are on the scene for control,” and “Fire and Dispatch are aware of these burns,” so no need to report smoke in the air.
Come spring, Williams said the Forest Service will “evaluate favorable conditions for broadcast prescribed fire projects.”
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