Roosevelt National Forest’s Canyon Lakes Ranger District is planning prescribed fire operations this winter, pending all required approvals. This work could continue throughout the winter and spring as conditions allow. Prescribed fire is used to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Broadcast burning on the Salt Cabin Prescribed Burn Project could begin as early as the first week of February. The Salt Cabin Prescribed Burn Project is located south of Rustic and CO State Hwy 14. This project is a part of the overall strategy to confront the wildfire crisis along Colorado’s Front Range, which is a high-risk fire landscape. The goal is to reduce exposure of people, communities, and natural resources to the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
This project will improve timber stands through thinning and prescribed burning to reduce natural fuel build-up and hazards, which is consistent with Forest-wide management goals and objectives. The Forest Service is proposing to re-introduce fire to forests that are adapted to low- and mixed-severity fires and maintain low fire hazard conditions created by both a previous prescribed fire (Dadd-Bennett) and the Cameron Peak Fire of 2020. The total project area encompasses 4,567 acres. Documents related to this project area available online.
Weather conditions are evaluated in the days and hours prior to ignitions. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled. Watch for informational signage along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns. County emergency management officials will be notified when burning begins.
Residents and visitors to the Pingree Park/CR 63E and Cache La Poudre River corridors may experience smoke during prescribed burns. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit wood smoke and your health. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
For up-to-date information on prescribed fire activity, follow us on Facebook and X, visit our website, or check this Inciweb page.
