Courtesy photo
A prescribed fire project may be resuming soon as crews look for opportunities to continue controlled burns through Cottonwood Pass.
According to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service, fire managers are looking to burn up to 700 acres between Granby and Hot Sulphur Springs over multiple days. Crews have already burned 438 acres in the area over the past year.
The prescribed fire is the next step in the Blue Ridge Salvage and Fuels Reduction Project, meant to decrease the risk of wildfire and improve forest health in Grand County. The Blue Ridge area includes Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs and Fraser Valley.
Controlled burning is done under specific environmental conditions, taking things like wind speed and humidity into account, the release said. Prescribed fires are planned and implemented by trained fire managers who take advantage of existing firebreaks such as roads, trails and even snow to keep the fire within designated areas.
Smoke from these activities could be visible around the county, including in Parshall, Granby and parts of Fraser Valley. Smoke will be in the air, but fire managers will work to comply with local air quality regulations and minimize impact, according to the release.
For the latest information on the Blue Ridge Prescribed Burn, go to http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/blueridge. The Forest Service will share more updates in the weeks and days before burning begins.