The U.S. Forest Service will conduct a 460-acre prescribed fire in the Pikes Peak Ranger District on Monday, according to a post on social media by the agency’s local page.

The fire is planned directly west of Rampart Reservoir and Forest Service Road 300 in El Paso County and will last through Wednesday depending on weather conditions.

Smoke from the fire, which will be within the 720-acre Rainbow Gulch project area, will be visible from Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, Colorado 67 and Interstate 25.

Fire managers and contractors have worked to reduce hazardous fuels in three phases since 2021.

The first removed timber across 353 acres to thin the forest, which was followed by the second phase that hand piled, dried and burned 296 acres of vegetation.

The release stated that the final stage’s prescribed broadcast fires will consume fuel across the forest floor. Fire managers have already treated the other 260 acres in the project area with a prescribed fire, according to a Friday news release.

The agency may cancel or postpone the burn depending on weather conditions. The release stated closures are not anticipated but forest visitors should be cautious about smoke and firefighter vehicle activity.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment advises people near a prescribed fire to:

• check the air quality on AirNow
• stay indoors, close windows and doors if the air quality is poor
• limit activity outdoors in heavy smoke
• use a N95 respirator outdoors around heavy smoke
• run vehicle air intake on recirculation mode and close windows and vents
• take extra precautions at night because smoke can be worse
• temporarily seek shelter if it is safe and necessary at an area with filtered air like a mall or recreation center