Eagle County will see controlled burns Saturday
Burns are planned near Gypsum, north of Edwards
White River National Forest/Special to the Daily
Fire managers from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit expect Saturday conditions to be ideal to ignite two prescribed fires in Eagle County to improve wildlife habitat and reduce fuels for wildfires.
The Cattle Creek prescribed burn is planned nine miles northeast of El Jebel and nine miles southwest of Gypsum. Firefighters are planning to burn up to 2,000 acres on the White River National Forest using a helicopter for aerial ignition. Smoke may be visible from the Roaring Fork Valley and the Interstate 70 corridor.
The Muddy Pass prescribed fire is planned for Saturday on a parcel 14 miles north of Edwards. Firefighters are planning to burn up to 200 acres on the White River National Forest by hand ignition. They will be burning the perimeter of a potential larger burn planned for this spring. Smoke may be visible along I-70 from Eagle to Vail, Colorado Highway 131, and the Trough Road.
Smoke should dissipate during the day but may remain on the valley floors as temperatures drop.
“We are carefully monitoring the weather forecast and fuel moisture. We will only ignite these prescribed fires if conditions allow for a safe, effective burn and good smoke dispersal,” Deputy Fire Management Officer Lathan Johnson said. “The snow has sufficiently melted off the target areas while the surrounding areas still retain moisture and snow to help hold the fire.”
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Fire managers have developed a detailed prescribed fire plan and obtained smoke permits from the state of Colorado. For more information, go to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website.