Pile Burning for 2025-2026:

Regular burning activity notifications will be posted on this Inciweb page under "Announcements." Current pile burning activity will also be highlighted on this main page in the "Highlighted Activity" section. For seasonal press releases, please visit the "News" section. 

What is pile burning?

Pile burning is a type of prescribed fire that helps remove woody debris from the forests, reducing the potential of more impactful, unplanned fire activity at other times of the year. Pile burning helps eliminate branches, limbs, twigs and small logs that can't easily be removed through other means due to topography, access or cost feasibility. Pile burning typically follows forest thinning projects in overgrown forests. If heavy machinery was used to conduct the thinning, the piles may be much larger than if thinning and piling was completed by hand using chainsaws. 

Before burning piles, fire managers track hyper-localized weather forecasts to check temperatures, snowpack conditions and wind. Snow and cooler temperatures are key tools in helping contain fire behavior while wind is an important factor in aiding smoke dispersal. Firefighters use air quality monitoring stations in areas where they plan on burning.

Smoke, flames, and glowing embers are often visible, and are a normal part of pile burning operations. Mild fire behavior between piles is expected and is also beneficial for future wildfire risk reduction. This can include forest litter between piles and lower limbs of trees.  Once burning has begun, firefighters patrol and monitor burned piles until there is no longer any heat emitted. 

This work is part of a national effort to reduce the impacts of unplanned, large-scale fires on watersheds, wildlife habitat, recreation and communities. Fire is a natural and important part of a healthy Colorado ecosystem. With help from our community partners, prescribed fire on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands and adjacent public and private lands is helping prepare our forests and grasslands for unplanned fire when it happens.

Learn more:

To view all prescribed fire projects across the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, check out our new interactive map. Zoom into the location you are interested in, click on a prescribed burn unit and learn more about its status. 

Fire managers work with the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division to reduce the impacts of smoke on the public. For more information on how fire smoke may affect your health, see the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. 

Prescribed pile burning operations planned for the area include the following:

       South Platte Ranger District

• Rolling Creek – 5 miles southeast of the town of Bailey (Park County). (Map)
• Harris Park – north of County Roads 43 and 47 and adjacent to Harris Park, Elk Creek Highlands and Forest Ridge communities (Park County).
• Hatch – east of County Road 67 along the South Platte River corridor (Douglas County). (Map)
• Payne Gulch – south of the town of Bailey along County Road 64 (Park County).
• Rock Creek – along County Road 68, 3 miles southeast of the town of Bailey (Park County). (Map)

      South Park Ranger District

• Cannonball – 4 miles west of Lake George (Park County). (Map)
• Warm Springs – 5 miles southwest of Fairplay (Park County). (Map)
• Praise Mountain – 5 miles southwest of Lake George (Park County). (Map)
• Pulver – 8 miles west of Lake George (Park County). (Map)
• Lake George Work Center – Lake George Work Center in Lake George (Park County).

      Pikes Peak Ranger District

• West Schubarth – northside of Rampart Reservoir (El Paso County). (Map)
• North Divide – north of State Highway 24 and northeast of the town of Divide, approximately 2 miles west of Woodland Park (Teller County).
• Forest Road 331 – 2 miles southwest of Crystal Reservoir (El Paso County).
• Old Stage Road – 3 miles west of Colorado Springs (El Paso County).
• Rampart Range – 2 miles east of Woodland Park (El Paso County).

      Salida Ranger District

• Cleveland Mountain Piles – 3 miles south of Poncha Springs (Chaffee County). (Map)
• Marshall Pass – 12 miles southwest of Poncha Springs (Chaffee County).

      Leadville Ranger District

• Railroad Bridge Piles – 5 miles north of Buena Vista (Chaffee County).
• Sugar Loaf – 3 miles west of Leadville (Lake County).

       San Carlos Ranger District

• Black Mountain – 11 miles north of Gardner (Huerfano County).
• Cuchara – 7 miles southwest of La Veta (Huerfano County).
• Greenhorn – along the crest of the Wet Mountains, 10 miles north of Gardner (Custer County). (Map)
• 12-Mile – 2 miles north of San Isabel (Custer County). (Map)

       Comanche National Grassland

• Carrizo Work Center – County Road 19 and U.S. Highway 160 (Baca County).
• Sand Canyon – 1 mile north of Oklahoma state line (Baca County). (Map)
• Purgatoire River – 3 miles south of Picket Wire Corrals (Las Animas County).

      Cimarron National Grassland

• Tunnerville Work Center – 3 miles north of Elkhart, Kan. (Morton County).
• Cimarron Recreation Area – 14 miles north-northwest of Wilburton, Kan. (Morton County).
• Turkey Trail – 10 miles north of Elkhart, Kan. (Morton County).
• Cimarron River Campground – 8 miles north of Elkhart, Kan. (Morton County).