Discovery Hill Controlled Burn

Tuesday, November 03, 2009 - Breckenridge, CO

Red, White and Blue Fire District and the Town of Breckenridge have continued their partnership of working together to protect our community from the risk of wildfire with a second controlled burn process. Last November, trees in a section above Discovery Hill in the Highlands Park subdivision were cut down to create an open area designed to slow a wildfire by removing fuel sources, otherwise known as a “fuel break”.

The remaining slash from this fuel break will be burned over the course of the next month as weather conditions allow. Each large pile may burn into the night and smoke may be visible for several days after and as far away as Frisco.

Those with serious respiratory issues should consider remaining indoors during these controlled burns. For more information on air quality and affects of fires, visit http://www.airnow.gov, or consult your health professional.

The Town of Breckenridge and Red, White and Blue received a federally-funded Wildland Urban Interface grant in 2007, with the goal of planning fuel breaks, reducing fuel loads around high-risk subdivisions and educating the public to help prevent and defend against wildfires in our changing forest. The Discovery Hill fuel break is the first in a series and is designed to give firefighters a foothold to defend against a catastrophic wildfire. This fuel break will be used as a model for future projects in the Upper Blue valley.

Red, White and Blue and the Town urge citizens to learn more about protecting your property. A recommended source is http://www.firewise.org. The Firewise Communities program serves as a resource for those who are working toward a common goal of reducing the loss of lives, property, and resources to wildland fires. Their approach emphasizes community responsibility for planning the design of a safe community and individual responsibility for safer home construction and design, landscaping, and maintenance that is compatible with our natural surroundings.

The Discovery Hill fuel break is on Breckenridge’s Open Space land. Large-pile burn permits have been issued from the State of Colorado, Red White and Blue Fire and the Town of Breckenridge.

Immediately prior to burning, a notice will be sent to Breckenridge-area residents via SCAlert. To sign up for this and other important information, please visit: http://www.scalert.org .

For confirmation of the burning, please contact Red, White and Blue at (970) 453-2474.

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Press Contact:
Captain Kim Scott, Red White & Blue Fire, (970) 485-4374 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Kim DiLallo, Town of Breckenridge Director of Communications, (970) 406-0371 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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