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DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s wildfire season is about to begin, and some government entities are trying to get ahead of the curve.

The White River National Forest is seeking public comments on a proposal to start a 44-acre broadcast prescribed fire above the Summit County Public Shooting Range, which thousands of shooters use in any given year.

The prescribed fire, the forest service says, will dampen the risk of the range itself sparking ablaze. Such planned fires are common throughout the West. The White River National Forest is planning thousands of acres’ worth of prescribed burns in the counties west of Summit County.

The forest service could start the fire as soon as fall 2022, but it could take a few more seasons before the conditions are right.

“While residents of Summit County are familiar with our forest thinning and winter pile-burning programs that are effective in lodgepole pine, this would be a broadcast burn across 44 acres conducted in the spring or fall to remove light fuels like grasses and shrubs above the shooting range,” Dillon District Ranger Adam Bianchi said. “A broadcast burn would be the most effective technique in this case, and it should encourage existing aspen to regenerate in this area.”

More information about the proposed prescribed fire including information about how to comment is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61369.