06/05/2026
Dear Community Members,
As we prepare for what is expected to be a challenging wildfire season across Eagle County, we understand that many residents have questions and concerns regarding the slash piles currently visible throughout portions of our community. We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity on why these piles exist, the role they play in wildfire mitigation, and how they fit into our overall wildfire risk-reduction strategy.
The slash piles you are seeing are the result of ongoing wildfire mitigation projects designed to reduce hazardous vegetation and improve the survivability of our forests and communities during a wildfire event. Ideally, these piles would have already been burned under safe and controlled conditions during the winter months. However, due to limited snowpack, unfavorable smoke conditions, and a narrow window for safe pile-burning operations, many piles remain in place longer than anticipated.
It is important to understand that while the piles are visible and may appear concerning, they do not create the same level of wildfire risk as untreated forest conditions. Before mitigation work occurred, the same vegetation existed throughout the forest in a scattered and continuous arrangement. Dead and down fuels, thick brush, and ladder fuels connected the forest floor directly into the tree canopy. These conditions greatly increase the likelihood of high-intensity wildfire behavior and dangerous crown fires that are extremely difficult to suppress. Through mitigation work, these fuels have been strategically reduced and consolidated. While the remaining piles do contain concentrated vegetation, the surrounding forest now has significantly less continuous fuel loading. This change in fuel arrangement is critical.
From an operational firefighting perspective, moderated fire behavior is one of the greatest advantages we can create before a wildfire starts.
Over the course of my career, I have responded to numerous wildfires where fire entered previously treated mitigation units containing slash piles. In nearly every case, fire behavior was significantly reduced once it entered those treated areas. Flame lengths decreased, fire intensity moderated, and suppression opportunities dramatically improved. While some individual piles occasionally ignited, those isolated pile fires were minor compared to the uncontrolled spread and extreme fire behavior commonly seen in untreated vegetation.
No wildfire mitigation effort reduces risk to zero. However, the current condition represents a substantial reduction in wildfire hazard compared to doing no work at all.
The reality is simple:
A treated forest with slash piles is significantly safer than an untreated forest with continuous hazardous fuels.
Our teams remain committed to removing or burning these piles as soon as safe weather, snowpack, and smoke conditions allow. Until then, we want the community to know that these mitigation projects are still accomplishing their intended purpose — reducing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire behavior and improving firefighter and community safety.
We appreciate your continued support, understanding, and partnership as we work together to prepare Eagle County for wildfire season.
Hugh Fairfield-Smith
Division Chief of Wildland Fire Operations
Eagle River Fire Protection District
Fire Management Officer (FMO)
Eagle Valley Wildland
