The Dolores Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest plans to conduct a prescribed burn beginning Sunday.
Burning operations may extend into Monday dependent on weather and fuel conditions, the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release.
Project areas identified for burns are 167 acres along Forest Service Roads 526 and 530 in the Boggy Draw area north of Dolores.
Burning operations will be conducted by the Forest Service, assisted by fire resources from cooperating agencies. Smoke likely will be visible from areas around Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and U.S. Highway 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View.
Smoke may settle into low-lying valleys and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Smoke monitoring will be conducted, and ignitions will be scheduled to minimize smoke impacts to communities. However, no perfect weather conditions or tactics exist to remove smoke impacts entirely from a fire.
Last month, the Forest Service burned about 2,096 acres in Boggy Draw Unit 35, sending smoke south to Cortez and east to Durango. Although the smoke was widespread, daytime air quality was rated “moderate” during the burn.
The Forest Service hopes to reduce hazardous ground fuels, decrease the risk of unplanned large scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed burning operations will begin only when weather, fuels and smoke parameters are met.
For additional information, contact Matt Traynham, assistant fire management officer, at (970) 882-6838 or visit www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan, or follow the San Juan National Forest on Twitter @SanJuanNF.
Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.