Medicine Bow Forest Plans Spring Prescribed Burns on Pole Mountain, Albany County

The Medicine Bow National Forest has posted initial notices, dated March 6, 2026, for prescribed-fire operations on the Pole Mountain unit in eastern Albany County, saying broadcast burning could largely target up to 2,000 acres of masticated fuels in the unit’s northeast portion while “hundreds of hand piles are also planned for treatment near Eagle Rock and Bisbee/Markley Hills.” The Forest Service said smoke from the planned operations will be visible from Wyoming Highway 210, known locally as Happy Jack Highway, Interstate 80, and nearby Forest roads, and asked the public not to report the burns because first responders and dispatch will be aware.

Forest managers framed the work as part of a national hazardous-fuels-reduction priority and tied it to the long-running Pole Mountain Vegetation Project that began in 2014. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle noted that “approximately 1,500 acres on the Pole Mountain unit … are scheduled to be treated with prescribed fire this spring and summer,” while Medicine Bow’s release states the operational target as “up to 2,000 acres.” The project was authorized to treat nearly 9,000 acres over roughly 10 years, and multiple years of prescribed burning have already taken place under that decision.

Timing for ignition is weather- and fuel-dependent. The Forest Service said the work, pending all required approvals, “could occur as early as next week and continue throughout the next few months when weather and fuel conditions align.” The Tribune Eagle reported that burning “could begin as early as Monday,” and both outlets emphasized operations will only start during windows that provide safety and effectiveness.

Operations will use a mix of tactics. The Forest Service described broadcast burning focused on masticated fuels in multiple northeast-Pole Mountain locations and the hand-pile treatments near Eagle Rock and Bisbee/Markley Hills. Officials also flagged aviation and remote tools: “There is the possibility that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) may be utilized for burning. Public flying of UAS is prohibited in the burn unit airspace.” Burn units, the agency added, may temporarily close to the public for safety and on-the-ground signage will often be placed on adjacent roads.

Public-safety measures extend beyond closures. Forest Service staff will monitor treated areas after operations, and drivers along I-80 and Happy Jack Highway should expect visible smoke and reduced visibility on some days. For the most up-to-date timing and unit-specific notices, the Medicine Bow National Forest posts updates on its social channels, listed by the Forest Service as @FS_MBRTB on X and @FSMBRTB on Facebook.

All prescribed fires are planned on National Forest System-managed lands and remain subject to required approvals and changing weather and fuel conditions. Residents near Pole Mountain can expect intermittent smoke, temporary road signage and possible short closures as crews implement the vegetation project objectives to restore a more resilient, diverse and historically healthy forest.