Fire crews recently burned massive piles of beetle-kill pine at Peabody Placer near The Highlands, a luxury neighborhood northeast of Breckenridge.
Our video of the burn on Facebook led to several questions about firewood, like this:
Others agreed, saying they would happily take home the deadfall. One listener suggested a “juxtaposition between responsible gathering and corporatized industry – free and endless vs costly and restricted.”
Most of the wood at the Peabody burn was deadfall or standing dead. It was trimmed and stacked with heavy machinery using summer access roads, and paid for in part by a voter-approved fund, known as Strong Futures, which generates $1 million every year for wildfire mitigation.
For several years now Colorado fire crews have been more aggressive with clear cuts and pile burns, leading many to wonder the same thing: Why are we wasting valuable fuel?
So we asked Matt Benedict, the wildfire division chief at Red White & Blue Fire.
“As far as making our projects available for firewood harvest, most are just too far away from roads,” Benedict writes. “The piles we hiked to were close to half-mile away from the road.”
Other recent cuts, like those at Peak 7, were closer to main roads. Some of that wood was cut and piled specifically for the public to gather.
What about harvesting?
Harvesting firewood in Summit can be tricky, but not impossible.
First, you must know where you are. Collecting wood on private property, including town open space, is illegal. You need permission from the property owner first.
Even U.S. Forest Service property is restricted, although not as severely, and the process to gather firewood legally is easier. Dillon Ranger District sells low-cost firewood collection permits.
Then, you must know the limits. For example, the Forest Service outlaws firewood cutting near campgrounds, resorts and rec areas. The agency also limits the type of trees you can trim and where you can go to get them.