Rocky Mountain National Park fire managers hope to take advantage of favorable winter weather and conditions in order to perform pile burning operations in several locations throughout the park. These locations will include Deer Mountain, areas around Lily Lake, the Wild Basin area off of Highway 7, near Allenspark, and along US Highway 34.
Over the past two years, National Park Sertvice fire crews have cut and piled slash from hazard fuels treatments, preparing them to be burned. The pile burning project will reduce the threat of wildfires to nearby communities and National Park Service infrastructure by reducing the amount of fuels available in the case of a burn.
“When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters were able to take advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that provided a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads.”  – Rocky Mountain National Park
Though efforts will be made to reduce the smoke impacts on both the adjacent community and visitors, some smoke will likely disperse east of the park. Smoke could also be visible both inside and outside the park. Visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website to learn more about wood smoke and health.     Â
