Crews zero in on small wildland fire near Lazy Glen in Roaring Fork Valley vaildaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vaildaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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“Things can turn on a dime around here, and I’m hoping it does with some moisture coming in,” said Jim Genung, a fire manager and fuels specialist based in Rifle. “But I gotta say, it’s starting to look a little bit like we’re going to head into a busy summer again.”
Genung’s jurisdiction with the Upper Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit includes both Bureau of Land Management and White River National Forest land.
Because indicators are pointing to another busy season, he says, the people who monitor wildfires are in a “heightened state of awareness” looking at this year’s conditions.
Staff Report
With good weather conditions expected, fire managers with the U.S. Forest Service planned to ignite a prescribed fire Friday near Woody Creek, according to a news release.
Firefighters planned to burn up to 1,500 acres in the Collins Creek area 9 miles north of Aspen “to improve wildlife habitat and reduce fuels for wildfires,” according to the Forest Service release. Smoke is expected to be visible from Aspen, Snowmass, Woody Creek and other areas of the Roaring Fork Valley.
“We will only ignite the prescribed fire if conditions allow for a safe, effective burn,” said Jim Genung, fire management officer for the central zone of the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit. “The snow has melted off the area we are planning to burn, but the surrounding areas still retain moisture and snow to help hold the fire.”