CAÑON CITY — The San Carlos Ranger District announced prescribed burns for Custer, Huerfano, and Pueblo counties today.
The burns will start in December 2021 and go through March 2022, if the conditions permit.
The Ranger District plans to hold burns in the following 4 areas
- 12-Mile – in Custer and Pueblo Counties in the vicinity of San Isabel, Colorado, near State Highways 78 and 165.
- Black Mountain – in Huerfano County approximately 10 miles north of Gardner, Colorado, near the intersections of Forest Service Roads 630 and 634, as well as the intersection of Pole Creek Trailhead and Forest Road 630.
- Cuchara – in Huerfano County approximately two miles southwest of Cuchara, Colorado, adjacent to the Panadero Subdivision and north of the Spring Creek Trailhead.
- Greenhorn – in Custer and Huerfano Counties along the crest of the Wet Mountains, near Forest Service Roads 401 and 369.
According to the Rangers, these burns help reduce "heavy fuel loading" that poses a threat to the public or to firefighters combatting wildfires.
The areas selected by the district were prepared in advance for the burn, and the piles consist of "small trees, as well as treetops and limbs cut and piled during hazardous fuel management and timber sale projects."
Ranger Destiny Chapman says the burns are done during this window because "fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation," and the "snow cover (is used) to limit fire spread."
The piles will only be ignited when conditions meet parameters set by the district, and the burns can sometimes continue for several days. The burns will be monitored by fire personnel until they extinguish.
For the most up to date information, you can follow @PSICC_NF on Twitter, or use the hastags #12-MileRX, #BlkMtnRX, and #CucharaRX, #GreenhornRX and #SanCarlosRD.
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