Firefighters expect conditions to be good for a 44-acre prescribed fire above the Summit County Public Shooting Range as early as the week of April 15.
The prescribed fire is planned in the grasses and shrubs above the shooting range to help mitigate the risk of a wildfire spreading from the shooting range. Smoke will be visible throughout Summit County.
The Summit County Public Shooting Range provides a safe, controlled area for responsible target shooting. As many as 1,700 shooters a month use the site during the busy summer months. While tracer rounds and exploding targets are not allowed at the shooting range, responsible shooting with standard ammunition has previously sparked wildfires at the range, which caused extended range closures.
“The shooting range will be closed for several days when we conduct this burn, and we appreciate the public’s patience,” said Dillon District Ranger Adam Bianchi. “A prescribed burn will be the most effective technique for reducing the grasses and shrubs above the range. We anticipate that the moderate-intensity burn should stimulate aspen to grow in the area, which will help reduce wildfire risk in the coming years as well.”
Fire managers from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit, which is comprised of personnel from the White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management, are closely monitoring conditions and will only ignite the fire if conditions are good for a safe, effective burn and optimal smoke dispersal. Firefighters established containment lines around the burn perimeter last year.
Additional notifications will be made at least 24 hours before the burn would be conducted. Updates will be posted on www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver. Public viewing will be available from the shooting range parking lot.
Fire managers have developed a detailed prescribed fire plan and obtained smoke permits from the State of Colorado for each planned burn. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.