Why you may see smoke in the air near Boulder on Wednesday

Brooke Williams
·2 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — Seeing smoke in northeast Boulder on Wednesday? Don’t panic. The City of Boulder is conducting the second prescribed burn of this week.

Boulder Fire Rescue is working with Open Space and Mountain Parks and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on several prescribed burns in agricultural areas in and near Boulder this spring.

Medical helicopter makes emergency landing near Fort Morgan

The city is asking the public not to call 911 to report smoke for prescribed burns, as it is not an emergency. Firefighters are trained in preparing, lighting and supervising prescribed fires, which are planned with multiple requirements in mind.

Prescribed burning in northeast Boulder Wednesday

On Wednesday, crews will be working on a burn on open space to the east of IBM and Diagonal Highway, off of 71st Street.

Ignition is set to begin after 10 a.m. and last until 3 p.m., but the City of Boulder noted that community members might continue to see smoke after 3 p.m as crews work on extinguishing the burn.

Here are the areas crews will be burning this spring:

North of Boulder:

  • West of Diagonal Highway and south of the Boulder Reservoir

  • East of North 55th Street and just north of the Boulder Reservoir

  • West of North 71st Street and north of Monarch Road

East of Boulder

  • East of North 75th Street and north of Valmont Road

  • South Boulder Road and north of U.S. Highway 36

  • West of North 95th Street and north of Valmont Road

  • West of Cherryvale Road and north of Baseline Road

  • East of 63rd Street and South of Jay Road

Burns will take place when conditions are appropriate. The city said it will release information on prescribed burns on the day of the burn.

“Due to the complex nature of planning prescribed burns, we cannot state what exact days we will burn,” the city’s website reads.

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The city noted that crews may burn additional agricultural areas as weather and environmental conditions allow.

What is the purpose of the burns?

The City of Boulder said the burning helps to maintain open-space agricultural properties. including ditches that provide water for open-space farming and ranching.

For example, burns in agricultural ditches remove vegetation and allow for proper irrigation, providing water for open space farmers and ranchers.

The burns also help control plant growth and invasive weed species.

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