Fire crews are planning controlled burns in Keystone Gulch on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Wednesday, Nov. 20, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A notification sent by the Summit County Government Tuesday noted a prescribed burn in Western Sky near Breckenridge.

The piles of wood are the result of work aimed at reducing potential wildfire fuels. Logs, slash and brush produced by forest thinning were placed into numerous piles across the project area, the news release states. The piles have been allowed to dry until there was enough snow on the ground and the conditions were good for smoke dispersal.

Smoke will be visible in the Keystone and Summit County area due to the pile burns. Most of the smoke will dissipate during the day, but some smoke could settle in the valleys and drainages at night for short durations, the release states.

Fire managers have developed a detailed prescribed fire plan and obtained smoke permits from the state, according to the Forest Service. Prescribed fire smoke can affect human health. For more information, visit Colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health.