A lightning-caused wildfire that started on a steep hillside 5 miles east of Bayfield this weekend burned itself out Monday.
The 256 Fire ran out of fuel after burning about one-tenth of an acre mostly in Gambel oak, said Chris Tipton, fire management officer for the Columbine District of the San Juan National Forest.
The fire was burning on the northwest slope of Lange Canyon, an area surrounded by land that had previously burned, according to a Facebook post by the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center.
Firefighters will visit the area Tuesday to determine the entire perimeter of the fire is cold, he said.
The Forest Service had been evaluating the fire for its potential to help clear dead leaves and other foliage on the landscape, he said. But it proved not to be a good candidate.
“In years like this, we look at every single fire for what positive benefits could come from that fire,” he said.
It’s likely the Forest Service will do some controlled burning on the west side of the HD Mountains late in August or September near this small fire, he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
