Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pile Burning

Fuels reduction programs involve mechanical or hand thinning projects, removing trees to reduce forest density and improve forest health. While larger logs are removed for use, unmarketable limbs, saplings, and brush are piled up for burning. Hand piles result from crews using chainsaws to thin the forest and then piling the material; machine piles result from using logging equipment and primarily consist of tree limbs left behind after marketable material is removed.

Piles are only ignited when fuels managers are confident that the project can be undertaken safely and successfully. Snow cover, fuel moisture, precipitation, wind, temperature, and available firefighter staffing are all considered before beginning a pile burn.

Smoke, flames, and glowing embers are often visible, and are a normal part of pile burning operations. This can be visible throughout the night. Moisture, namely snow, helps contain the piles and firefighters monitor the area during and after the burn. Monitoring continues until the piles are considered out. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in burning operations.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health; for more information see http://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health/.

Project Goals:

To burn vegetation left and piled on the landscape from mechanical and hand fuels reduction projects to improve forest health and reduce fire risk.

Project Status:

For the latest on where burning is occurring and what has been accomplished this season in both Boulder and Larimer Counties, check https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/coarf-arapaho-roosevelt-national-forests-pile-burning

Contact Info:

If you would like to receive regular updates about burning on U.S. Forest Service lands in your area, please contact Reghan Cloudman at reghan.cloudman@usda.gov to be added to the district’s email contact list.