Area (located between north Longmont and Lyons) will be closed completely during all active ignition days

The prescribed burn was originally expected to begin Monday, July 29, but updated air quality reports favor conditions later in the week for the burn.

The prescribed burn is now scheduled to begin either on Wednesday, July 31 or Thursday, Aug. 1, weather and other conditions permitting.

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County Parks & Open Space and the Sheriff’s Office Fire Management Program plan to conduct prescribed burns at Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain, located at 14950 N. 55th St., north of Longmont, beginning next week, weather permitting.Ron Stewart Preserve will be closed completely during active ignition days. Specific areas will reopen as soon as it’s deemed safe to do so by fire personnel.

The prescribed burn will cover up to 140 acres and is located near the Little Thompson Overlook Trail and the Indian Mesa Trail (map). Additional acres may be burned at the preserve if conditions allow.

To determine if conditions are suitable for ignitions, fire managers assess fuel moisture levels and continuously monitor current and projected weather forecasts. Weather considerations include wind, temperature, relative humidity, and air quality. Conditions must meet certain criteria for the prescribed burn to proceed. Fire personnel will stop burning if weather conditions change and do not allow for a safe operation (i.e., gusty winds), or the situation becomes unsafe. Weather and safety conditions are monitored constantly.

Currently, fire danger is moderate and fuel moisture is high in vegetation such as shrubs. This allows fire managers to reach their objective of burning only some of the vegetation in a mosaic pattern. Boulder County is also experiencing monsoonal flows that have brought repeated rain showers. This precipitation pattern can assist fire personnel with containment and mop-up operations.

Smoke and flames may be visible for days to weeks following a prescribed burn. There may be heavy smoke in the air. Please do not call 911 since a prescribed burn is not an emergency. The areas will be monitored to ensure fires are completely out.

Smoke from prescribed fires may affect health. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Wood Smoke and Health webpage and the Boulder County Public Health Wildfire Air Quality & Health webpage provide tips on how to protect health from smoke.

For additional information, contact Boulder County Parks & Open Space Senior Forester Stefan Reinold at 303-678-6202 or sreinold@bouldercounty.org. Updates will be posted to BoCo.org/burns.