As of Friday evening, 40 of 65 piles had been burned, said Amanda Brenner, of Firewise Southwest Colorado.
“Some of the piles are 70 feet high and have been there for 10 years,” she said. “With all the snow the conditions are safe to burn.”
The piles of limbs and foliage are left over from a thinning project on the sprawling ranch, which is known for its bison herd.
Burn crews met at the Summit Lake Community Church at Colorado Highway 184 and County Road 36.5 at 8 a.m. Friday and started the burns shortly afterward. The Bureau of Land Management, Towaoc Fire department, and Firewise participated in the burn project.
Smoke is likely to be visible along Colorado 184 and Summit Ridge on Friday and Saturday.