By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio News/Blizzard Broadcasting.

 

The Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council has released pictures from March’s controlled burn in the Harrison Creek Drainage. The pictures show the fire personnel at the scene and how they used a drone to check the status of the fire, as well ignites some of the fires. This was between Catamount and US Hwy 40, approaching Rabbit Ears Pass.

The U.S. Forest Service also participated with the prescribed burn that targeted 200 acres of overgrown vegetation.

USFS District Ranger Michael Woodbridge said the burn protects evacuation routes, enhances wildlife corridors, and improves public safety.

These pictures are courtesy Josh Hankes with Routt County Fire Mitigation Council.

 

Press Release from Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council; April 2, 2026.

Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council Joins U.S. Forest Service for Steamboat Front Prescribed Burn to Bolster Community Resilience

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO — April 2, 2026 — Josh Hankes, Executive Director, and Halie Cunningham, Program Manager of the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council (RCWMC), recently attended the Steamboat Front Prescribed Burn conducted by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The RCWMC leaders joined fire specialists on-site to witness the strategic application of fire as a critical tool for long-term community resilience and ecosystem health.

The Steamboat Front project, located south of Steamboat Springs near the Harrison Creek drainage and U.S. Highway 40, is a multi-year effort designed to reduce wildfire risk within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). This latest phase targeted approximately 200 acres of overgrown vegetation, building upon 300 acres treated in 2025 and ongoing work since 2017.

“Seeing these operations firsthand reinforces the vital role prescribed fire plays in our local mitigation strategy,” said Josh Hankes.

USFS District Ranger, Michael Woodbridge, highlighted three primary benefits of these prescribed operations:

1. Protecting Evacuation Routes: Reducing hazardous fuels along major corridors like U.S. Highway 40 ensures that critical ingress and egress remains passable for residents and first responders during an emergency.

2. Enhancing Wildlife Corridors: The burn is specifically designed to improve winter range habitat for deer and elk by clearing brush and stimulating the growth of nutrient-rich native grasses and forage.

3. Improving Public Safety: Controlled burns create strategic fuel breaks that lower the intensity of future fires, providing firefighters a safer environment to manage future events.

He added that, “by proactively managing fuels today, we are significantly reducing the potential for high-intensity, uncontrollable wildfires that could threaten our homes and shared landscapes.”

Months of planning goes into an event like this to ensure its success, with a number of factors carefully weighed and analyzed before the decision to proceed is reached. Key staffing and expertise is verified across a number of roles on the fire which include Burn Boss, Firing Boss, 3 Engines coordinated by a Holding Boss, Smoke Monitors and UAS Management (Unmanned Aircraft System). Drones are used for both ignition and monitoring. Geofencing is used to ensure that the ‘firing’ drone, which drops little fuel pellets that ignite on impact, can’t drift outside the burn area. A surveillance drone uses infrared technology to detect hotspots as the event winds down.

 

“This is about more than just clearing brush; it’s about restoring the natural balance of our fire-adapted landscape,” said Halie Cunningham. “Projects like the Steamboat Front Prescribed Burn align perfectly with our mission to create resilient, fire-adapted communities through coordinated efforts with local partners like the U.S. Forest Service.”

To learn more about how to protect your home and community from the threat of wildfire, join RCWMC at the Bud Werner Library on Thursday 4/9 at 6pm. We’ll pop in and out of “Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm,” the award-winning documentary on last year’s wildfire events and discuss the local implications as well as the program and solutions available.