From: Armstrong, Katherine R -FS
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2017 10:12 AM
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Winter conditions mark the start of pile burning season on the Boulder Ranger District

U.S. Forest Service
Roosevelt National Forest
Boulder Ranger District

Media Contact: Reid Armstrong, 970-222-7607

Winter conditions mark the start of pile burning season

BOULDER, Colo. (Oct. 3, 2017) – As winter conditions settle in, the Boulder Ranger District of the Roosevelt National Forest will work to burn slash piles resulting from fuels reductions and hazardous tree removal projects in the area. Hand piles are a result of crews using chainsaws to thin the forest. Much of the smaller cut material is piled for burning. Machine piles are the result of using logging equipment and consist of primarily the limbs of trees as most of the logs have already been removed. Piles must be burned before the treatment is complete.

Last season, firefighters on the Boulder Ranger District burned more than 332 acres of piles, including 143 machine piles and more than 3,000 individual hand piles. This season’s pile burning could begin next week and will continue through the spring, as conditions allow.

Piles are only ignited under favorable weather conditions. Adequate snow cover, precipitation, wind, temperature, fuel moisture and staffing all play a part in when and whether ignition occurs. Piles that are ready for burning are prioritized based on elevation, aspect, access, and proximity to homes.

Smoke, flames and glowing embers are often visible and are part of normal operations. Snow helps contain the piles and firefighters monitor the area after burning is complete. Public and firefighter safety is always the number one priority in burning operations.

Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information see www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. To check the latest updates on when burning will occur, follow us on Twitter and Facebook @usfsarp. To get added to our email notification list, send an email to krarmstrong@nullfs.fed.usand ask to be added to the Boulder Pile Burning list. For a complete list of where burning is occurring this season as well as updated accomplishments and photos, visit our Inciweb Page at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4648.

Areas on the Boulder Ranger District with hand and machine piles ready for burning are:

• Lump Gulch: 12 acres of hand piles or approximately 200 individual piles; Potential Impacts: Smoke impacts to Coal Creek Canyon or Highway 72, possibly Pinecliffe; General Location: Nederland High School, Big Springs subdivision.
• Sugarloaf Units 156 151; 12 acres of hand piles or approx. 150 piles; Potential Impacts: Ridge Road, Boulder Canyon Road, St Anton Subdivision General location: 1 mile East of Peak to Peak Hwy 534 Ridge Rd Nederland Work Center.
• Sugarloaf Unit 4; 19 acres of hand piles or approx. 475 piles; Potential Impacts: Gold Hill

General location: 1.75 miles west of Gold Hill. 5 miles off Peak to Peak Highway on County Road 52.

• James Creek RFB Units 6, 7, 8 300 acres of hand piles or approx. 7,500 piles; Potential Impacts: Jamestown, Bar K Ranch; General location: Half mile south of Jamestown or quarter mile East of Bar K Ranch.
• James Creek RFB Unit 1 32 acres of hand piles or approx. 800 piles; Potential Impacts: Jamestown Bar- K; General location: 1.5 Northwest of Jamestown, west of County Road 87.
• RFB Units 12, 13, 5, 3 500 of Hand piles or approx. 10000 piles Potential Impacts: Ward, Bar K subdivision Gold Lake, Jamestown Gold Hill, Rowena Boulder Heights Subdivision; General location: 1 Mile East of Gold lake and 5 miles west of Hwy 36 in Lefthand Canyon.
• James Creek RFB 17 57 acres of hand piles or approx. 1425 piles; Potential Impacts: Highway 7; General location: Half-mile north Cal-Wood Ranch.
• James Creek Units M0502, M3202, H3101 200 acres of hand piles or approx. 4,000 piles; Potential Impacts: Ward, Bar K subdivision Gold Lake, Jamestown Gold Hill, Rowena; General location: Peak to Peak Hwy 1 mile North of Ward Gold Lake and County Rd 100 and 103.
• James Creek Unit M0801 150 acres of hand piles or approx. 2,000 piles; Potential Impacts: Peaceful Valley, Raymond, Riverside, Allenspark, Bar K Subdivision; General location: Quarter mile west of Raymond.
• James Creek Units M3401, M3501, M3502 300 acres hand and machine 500 hands piles 100 machine piles; Potential Impacts: Ward, Bar K subdivision, Gold Lake, Jamestown, Gold Hill, Rowena; General location: 1 Mile East of Gold Lake.
• James Creek Units M1602 M1601 100 Acres of hand and machine or approx. 300 individual piles; Potential Impacts: Lefthand Canyon and Gold Hill; General location: 3 miles east of Peak to Peak Highway on Highway 52.
• James Creek Units M0501 M0503 150 acres of hand piles or approx. 4,500 piles; Potential Impacts: Ward, Bar K subdivision, Gold Lake, Jamestown Gold Hill, Rowena; General location: Gold Lake Rd 1 East of Peak to Peak Hwy.
• James Creek Unit H1501 36 acres of hand piles or approx. 800 piles; Potential Impacts: Impacts: Sky View Estates, Glacier View , Bar K subdivision Gold Lake, Jamestown; General location: 2 miles east of Peak to Peak on Overland Rd.
• James Creek Unit RFB10 130 acres of hand piles or approx. 3,250 piles; Potential Impacts: Lefthand Canyon and Gold Hill; General location: 2 miles east of Peak to Peak Highway on Highway 52.
• James Creek Units H3401; H3402: 55 acres of hand piles or approx. 450 hand piles and machine piles; Potential Impacts: Boulder Heights Subdivision; General location: Boulder Heights Subdivision, East of Peak View Road and Peak View Circle
• Gill 37 acres of hand piles or approx. 925 piles; Potential Impacts: Jamestown; General location: Quarter mile south of Jamestown.
• St Vrain Units 13d, 14a, 14c 456 acres of hand piles or approx. 11,400 piles; Potential Impacts: Big Elk Subdivision; General location: Johnny Park Road or 82E, 1 mile west of Big Elk Subdivision.