By Shannon Lukens.

Expect to see some smoke in the Piceance Basin, about 25 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County. The Bureau of Land Management is burning some slash piles of brush and dead trees, to reduce hazardous fuels near homes and some oil and gas infrastructure. Smoke may be visible from Colorado Highways 13 and 64. The planned pile burns could start today and happen between March 30.

 

Press Release from Bureau of Land Management; Jan. 30, 2024.

Bureau of Land Management plans pile burns southwest of Meeker

Meeker, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning pile burns in the White River Field Office between Jan. 31 and March 30, 2024.

 

The 415-acre project area is in the Piceance Basin, approximately 25 miles southwest of Meeker on BLM public lands in Rio Blanco County.

 

The pile burning will reduce pinyon-juniper slash from a thinning project designed to reduce hazardous fuels near residences, range improvements, as well as electrical and oil & gas infrastructure.

 

The project is located adjacent to Rio Blanco County Road 24 and BLM Road 68. Smoke may be visible from Colorado Highways 13 and 64 and will be visible from county roads in the Piceance Basin during the implementation of burning operations.  Please see map for details of the Dry Ryan Hand Pile Burn.

 

The public is reminded to not call 911 or emergency services even though smoke may be visible. Road closures are not expected. 

 

“Weather and fuel moisture conditions will be closely monitored, and the burn will only be initiated if prescriptive parameters have been met,” said BLM Fuels Technician Shane Pfeiffer.  “Each prescribed burn conducted by the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit has a detailed fire plan developed in advance, along with appropriate smoke permits obtained from the State of Colorado.”

 

Updates on prescribed burns will be available on the BLM Colorado Fire Facebook page.

 

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division’s website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.

 

For additional information, visit BLM Colorado fire information webpage at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/Colorado or contact BLM Fuels Technician Shane Pfeiffer (970) 620-6957.