The City of Boulder anticipates conducting several prescribed fire projects in the coming months to help improve open space agricultural properties and ditches that deliver water to area farmers and ranchers.

The City of Boulder anticipates conducting several prescribed fire projects in the coming months to help improve open space agricultural properties and ditches that deliver water to area farmers and ranchers. Ditch burning also helps address fire risk by reducing fuel build-up along the ditches.

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) and Boulder Fire-Rescue are planning to conduct agricultural burns in several city open space locations, including:

  • General area of Monarch Road and N. 55th Street.
  • Northwest of the intersection of Baseline Road and Bluebird Lane.
  • Southeast of the intersection of Valmont Road and N. 75th Street.
  • Northeast of the intersection of Valmont Road and Melissa Lane.
  • South of the intersection of Mineral Road and N. 71st Street.
  • Southwest of the intersection of Arapahoe Road and Park Lake Drive.
  • South of the intersection of South Boulder Road and Cherryvale Road.
  • Several other small irrigation ditch burns in locations yet to be determined.

Agricultural burning of irrigation ditches removes vegetation from important infrastructure and helps control plant growth and invasive weed species. Should weather conditions allow burning to occur, area residents, open space visitors and motorists may see smoke from city open space agricultural lands. All burning will be supervised and monitored by Boulder Fire-Rescue.

The City of Boulder only conducts burning when weather and vegetation conditions are acceptable to assure the safety of the public and minimize the potential impacts of smoke. Visit a city webpage for more information on city prescribed burning efforts. Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health