BLM plans to conduct spring prescribed burns
Deadline Ridge Prescribed Burn Project in May or June northwest of LaBarge
by Bureau of Land Management
April 30, 2026
PINEDALE, WYOMING— The Bureau of Land Management High Desert District, in coordination with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, may conduct prescribed burns this spring on public lands managed by the Pinedale Field Office, contingent on appropriate fuel moisture and weather conditions.
If conditions meet required parameters, the BLM plans to implement broadcast burns as part of the Deadline Ridge Prescribed Burn Project. The project is anticipated to occur in May or June and would treat approximately 210 acres of vegetation using stand-replacing fire. The treatment area is located about 13 miles northwest of LaBarge.
The prescribed burn is part of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Project, which supports the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative. The project is designed to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and improve habitat conditions for mule deer, including crucial winter, transition and fawning ranges.
The BLM works in coordination with partners to support habitat improvement efforts across the Wyoming Range. Contributing partners have included the Wyoming Game and Fish Wyoming, Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, Muley Fanatics Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, and ExxonMobil.
Prescribed burns are conducted under strict planning and authorization requirements. Each project undergoes environmental review and includes design features and mitigation measures to minimize impacts to other resources. Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority throughout all operations.
Smoke may be visible from long distances during operations but is expected to dissipate relatively quickly based on seasonal conditions and weather patterns. Light smoke in the immediate area of the burn could last for multiple weeks following ignitions. Hunters, recreationists and other public land users are encouraged to remain aware of active project areas and prescribed fire activity.
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