BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A prescribed burn is planned for an area south of Longmont on Thursday, Boulder County Parks & Open Space said Wednesday afternoon.
Staff with Boulder County's Fire Management Program will conduct fire operations around the Gaynor Lake area, near the intersection of Oxford Road and U.S. 287. So, if you smoke in the area, there is no need to call 911.
This project will focus on the ditch west of the lake. Burning away the unwanted vegetation in the ditch will help water move faster down, the county said.
Smoke and flames may remain visible for up to 72 hours afterward. This prescribed burn may mean residents will see heavy smoke in the air.
Firefighters will monitor the area until the fires are completely extinguished.
This is one of multiple agriculture and irrigation ditch burning projects that Boulder County has planned between this past October and mid-April 2025. The others include:
- Cohig (Coal Creek Drive, Superior)
- Zaharias-Thomas property (McCaslin Boulevard and State Highway 128, Superior)
- Marfell Lakes (Arapahoe Road and 119th Street)
- Josephine Roche Open Space (Arapahoe Road and 119th Street)
- Jim Henry Ditch (Oxford Road and 115th Street)
- Bush (Coal Creek Drive, Superior)
- Mayhoffer (McCaslin Boulevard, Superior)
Updates about Boulder County prescribed burns are posted on the county's X/Twitter and Facebook accounts. You can also sign up for email or text alerts on the county's website.
Prescribed burns have remained a crucial tool to prevent grass fires and wildfires because they create a barrier between homes and a wooded or grassy area. We recently featured their importance in the Denver7 special "Burned Out: The reality of year-round wildfires in Colorado."
You can watch that special in the video player below.