Last week, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Wildland Fire Group assisted the U.S. Forest Service with a prescribed burn operation near Rampart Range Road and Forest Service Road 314. This operation was the first prescribed burn implemented by the U.S. Forest Service, in El Paso County in nearly five years and encompassed close to 2,000 acres.

The prescribed burn, called Ensign Gulch, was part of the ongoing hazardous fuels reduction projects for the current Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance the scope and scale of fuels and forest health treatments, by mitigating the risk of catastrophic wildfire events.

Sheriff Joe Roybal, Fire Warden for El Paso County issued the following statement:

“I am grateful for the hard work invested in the planning and execution of the Ensign Gulch prescribed burn this week in El Paso County. Ultimately, this operation allowed for a break in wildfire fuel from Garden of the Gods in El Paso County to Chatfield Reservoir in Douglas and Jefferson Counties. This will significantly enhance the ability of wildland fire crews to protect communities across the Front Range.

“Thank you to the dozens of firefighting specialists and community partners who planned, trained and worked on this operation, and to our local media partners who helped my Office communicate with citizens across the Pikes Peak region, spreading awareness.”

Additional prescribed burns are planned for later this year and will be facilitated by the National Forest Service, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Wildland Fire Group, and additional community law enforcement and fire management partners.