Prescribed burns in Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa area to begin Sunday

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The U.S. Forest Service Pagosa Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 400 acres in the Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa area northwest of Pagosa Springs. Ignition of the prescribed burn has been moved up to Sunday due to favorable weather conditions, according to the U.S. Forest Service Pagosa Springs office.

The burn units are located adjacent to the Turkey Springs (Forest Road 629) and Brockover (Forest Road 919) roads.

Ignition operations may take place over several days. The forest consists of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak and grass. The units have received previous fuels-reduction treatments. This Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa project expands upon prescribed burns which took place in August/September 2016. It is part of an overall fuels reduction project involving both mechanical treatment and prescribed fire covering approximately 5,000 acres.

Burning operations will be conducted by district personnel and other fire resources from the San Juan National Forest and cooperating agencies. The purpose is to reduce hazardous ground fuels, reduce the risk of unplanned catastrophic wildfire, restore ponderosa pine ecosystems and improve wildlife habitat.

Ponderosa pine forests are a fire-adapted ecosystem that historically experienced frequent, low-intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime under controlled conditions. Prescribed fires will only be ignited when all weather, fuels and smoke requirements are met.

Smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires may affect your health. For more information, please go to: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.