A prescribed burn took place on the southwest slope of Saddle Mountain beginning Saturday, May 23 and continuing through the next several days. Though a great deal of smoke kicked up on Tuesday, May 26, and water bombers attended the fire, Sustainable Resource Development says that everything was under control.
“There was no flare-up or anything that really tested our lines,” says Rick Arthur, Wildfire Prevention Officer. “The burning that was done was all in our containment area.
“What did come up,” he says, “was a pretty good smoke column as a result of some pine burning and crowning out going up the hill.”

There was a similar event on Sunday, May 24, says Arthur, but it was not as noticeable because an east wind blew the smoke westward instead of up and out toward Coleman and Blairmore.
“It probably got some people excited,” says Arthur, “but no, nothing that really tested our lines.”
The objective of the burn was to create a fire break south of Colemand and Blairmore, and, according to a release from SRD, to “create a disruption in the forest stand continuity to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire in the area.”
Saddle Mountain separates the Star Creek and York Creek valleys south of Coleman.