Lakeside, Oak Draw West Pile Burns Recorded Feb. 17 in Dolores County

This year is going to be … who knows, its dry," Sheriff Steve Nowlin told the county board, as interagency wildland fire data show two prescribed pile burns recorded in Dolores County on Feb. 17, 2026: Lakeside Piles RX and Oak Draw West Piles RX. Both entries are listed as prescribed fires - pile burns - in the database but the records provided contain only the incident names, classification, and detection date.

The interagency entries do not include acreage, ignition method, containment status, or an implementing agency for either Lakeside or Oak Draw West, leaving basic operational details unconfirmed. Agency notices and releases from the San Juan National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management outline broader regional pile-burning programs in the same timeframe but do not explicitly tie those programs to the two Feb. 17 database records.

San Juan National Forest materials from the Dolores Ranger District describe planned prescribed burns beginning as early as April 21, 2025 and continuing into early summer 2025 when weather and fuel conditions allow. The Forest Service states both hand and aerial ignition may be used, that USFS personnel will be assisted by cooperating agencies, and that "Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health." The Forest Service warns smoke may be visible near Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, Cortez, and Highway 491 between Dove Creek and Pleasant View, and that smoke can settle into low-lying valleys and the Dolores River Canyon overnight. Acting Fire Management Officer Caleb Schutz is listed as a contact at Caleb.Schutz@usda.gov and (970) 882-6844.

BLM Southwest District communications show a coordinated series of pile burns across Dolores, La Plata and Montezuma counties through April 2026 targeting hand-built piles on an aggregate of 850 acres of BLM-managed lands. Past BLM project releases identify Yellow Jacket/McElmo at roughly 283 acres and Dawson at roughly 50 acres, and note the Dawson project has been described alternately as south of Disappointment Valley about 17 miles northeast of Dove Creek and as 12 miles east of Egnar in earlier materials. BLM Fuels Specialist Tyler Corbin said, "Pile burning gives us more control near homes and sensitive areas" and "It’s a safer option than broadcast fire and still reduces wildfire risk." BLM media contacts include BLM_CO_News@blm.gov and Levi Spellman at LSpellman@blm.gov, (719) 839-1584.

Local reporting and imagery tie recent small-pile burns to the Dolores Ranger District and nearby Mesa Verde National Park after recent precipitation created safe windows for ignitions; a photograph credited to Jerry McBride shows Kevin Lindner, a San Juan National Forest fire prevention officer, igniting a slash pile in a thinned area. The Journal reported Sheriff Nowlin and county emergency manager Jim Spratlen urging landowners to be proactive with controlled burns while weather allows, and noted a March session to discuss fire mitigation on private properties.

Interagency records confirm Lakeside Piles RX and Oak Draw West Piles RX were recorded Feb. 17, 2026 as prescribed pile burns; agencies continue to emphasize smoke monitoring, scheduling ignitions to minimize community impacts, and the health advisory that "Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health.