2025 San Juan National Forest Prescribed Fire Program

San Juan National Forest is planning to ignite slash piles as early as the week of November 17th, pending all required approvals and when there is sufficient snow or rain present to prevent fire spread. Pile burning will continue as long as conditions allow, possibly through April 2026.

The forests in Southwest Colorado are part of a fire-adapted ecosystem, which historically experienced frequent, low intensity fires on a large scale. Prescribed fire replicates that fire regime and increases the area on our landscape that has been burned at low and moderate conditions.

Reintroduction of prescribed fire is necessary to improve and restore vegetative conditions. This effort will reduce hazardous ground fuels, lessen the risk of unplanned large-scale wildfire, help restore ponderosa pine ecosystems, and improve wildlife habitat. Prescribed fire also reduces the ladder fuels that can carry fire into the canopy, killing mature trees.

Slash piles are generated from forest thinning and timber sales. Thinning projects improve forest health and wildlife habitat and reduce the risk of wildfire near private residences and other infrastructure. Thinning slash is piled and burned to remove the debris that would fuel wildfire. Pile burns planned for the area include:

Winter 2025/2026 Pile Burning Plans:

Pagosa Ranger District:

• Buckles Lake Road, 13 acres. Piles from the Coyote Park Timber Sale adjacent to US Hwy 84 and NFSR 663
• Kenny Flat, 128 acres. Piles from Halfway Kenny Timber Sale adjacent to US HWY 84 and NFSR 006.
• Valle Seco, 26 acres. Hand piles from thinning operations in Valle Seco. Boles of thinned trees were harvested for firewood by local residents. Adjacent to US HWY 84 and NFSR 653.
• Mariposa, 439 acres. Piles from Mariposa Timber Sale, adjacent to NFSR 024, Porcupine Rd.
• Gobbler, 178 acres. Piles from Gobbler Timber Sale, adjacent to NFSR 919 and FS Trails 307 and 303.
• Lower Turkey, 12 acres. Hand piles from thinning operations NFSR 628. Boles of thinned trees were harvested for firewood by local residents. Adjacent to FSR 628.
• Huerto, 183 acres. Piles from Huerto Creek Timber Sale, adjacent to NFSR 631.

Dolores Ranger District:

• Boggy Draw, 4 piles, 14 acres. Near NFSR 526.B in the Beaver Rim Gravel Pit
• Salter, 200 piles, 220 acres. Northwest of Salter Y, near NFSR 514,512, 519, and 233
• Lake Canyon/Glade, 1,500 piles, 2,200 acres. Glade Canyon, near NFSR 504, 506, 508, 509, 512, 514, 517, 216, and 218.

Columbine Ranger District:

• Animas Overlook, 160 piles, 7.5 acres. Near Animas Overlook on Junction Creek Road (NFSR 171)
• Junction Creek Road, 32 piles, 15 acres. MM 3 on Junction Creek Road (NFSR 171)
• Ellington Lane, 100 piles, 4 acres. Near Old Timers’ Day Use area, southeast corner of Vallecito Reservoir (NFSR 603)
• Falls Creek, 380 piles, 34 acres. South of Falls Creek Ranch subdivision (CR 205)
• High Meadows, 30 piles, 26 acres. Northeast of Falls Creek Ranch subdivision (CR 205)
• North Fosset Gulch, 100 piles, 32 acres. Near MM 1 on Fosset Gulch Road (NFSR 613)
• South Fosset Gulch, 15 piles, 1 acre. Near MM 5.5 on Fosset Gulch Road (NFSR 613)

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2025 Broadcast Burning Accomplishments:

Dolores Ranger District:

• Boggy Draw, 1,579 acres accomplished as of May 19, 2025
• Haycamp Mesa, 1,657 acres accomplished May 27, 2025

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2024/25 Winter Pile Burning Accomplishments

Dolores Ranger District

• Haycamp Mesa area (250 acres, 800 piles) near FSRs 556, 556.G and 492, south of Beef Pasture Reservoir COMPLETED
• Taylor Mesa area (390 acres, 134 piles) near FSRs 545 and 545.J COMPLETED

Pagosa Ranger District

• Brockover-Devil, 490 acres COMPLETED
• Kenney Flats, 30 acres COMPLETED
• Quartz Piles, 20 acres COMPLETED

Columbine Ranger District:

• Saul’s Creek (50 acres, 100 piles) near FS road 755 COMPLETED
• Fossett Gulch (17 acres, 100 piles) near FS road 841 COMPLETED
• Baldy Mountain (117 acres, 10 piles) near FS roads 69 and 601 COMPLETED

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2024 Broadcast Prescribed Fire Accomplishments:

DOLORES RANGER DISTRICT:

• Boggy Draw: 1,156 acres
• Salter Y Units 34 and 37: 1,279 acres

COLUMBINE RANGER DISTRICT:

• Vallecito-Piedra: 235 acres
• Saul's Creek: 1,615 acres
• Southern HDs: 1,080 acres

PAGOSA RANGER DISTRICT:

• Fawn Gulch 1,100 acres
• Mill Creek: 400 acres

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