Forest Crews Take Advantage Of Wet Colorado Weather, Conduct Pile Burns In Summit County
(CBS4) - Forest crews in Summit County are taking advantage of this month's wet weather to set their own fires to reduce the risk of wildfires in the future.
They say the time window for setting prescribed burns can change in a matter of hours, but on Monday -- with snow on the ground and mild winds -- they were burning off the fuels that could have started a big uncontrolled fire at some point.
"We know it's not going to stop a fire. But what it does is it gives us a buffer between the communities and the forests. It gives us a safe spot for the firefighters to be able to do their work," said Deputy District Ranger Chris Stewart.
The U.S. Forest Service says they are hoping to do more pile burns this year as the fire danger across the state grows.