Sound of a bull elk bugling in the background
Hello, I'm Charlie, I work in the Fire Management Program at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Many folks have been wondering about the stacks of wood piled along the park road.
I am here to answer that burning question - What are those piles of wood?
As part of our Fire Management Plan at Rocky, we strive to protect park visitors,
infrastructure, and surrounding communities.
Hazardous fuel loads are building up in the forest,
and we will continue to see more and more trees die
in light of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestations.
The threat of unwanted wildfire, and weakened trees have become serious risks
to park visitors and staff.
Therefore, we have been trying to lessen these risks by reducing burnable vegetation,
removing hazard trees, and creating buffer zones between the Park and surrounding communities.
In the park, we remove trees in high visitor-use areas like campgrounds, picnic areas, and roadways.
The cut wood is then stacked and left to dry.
Pile burning usually happens in the winter; when there is enough snow on the ground to prevent the fire from spreading.
Piles are lite by firefighters using specialized ignition devices called drip torches.
There are many piles throughout the park,
and when weather conditions allow, they are burned, and are monitored closely by firefighters.
There are many different factors to take into account before igniting the piles.
We play close attention to wind speeds, air quality, smoke spread, temperature, humidity, and fuel moistures.
If you are visiting the park during burning operations,
you may see visible smoke and flames.
Please be aware that these are managed burns, and heed all warning signs,
and please stay away from burned areas where firefighters may be working.
Eventually the fire will burn up all the fuel within a pile,
and the stacked wood will disappear.
The dark charred circles left behind by the piles, become perfect seed beds for new plants and trees to grow.
I hope this podcast answers some questions about the piles of wood in the park,
and I also hope it provides some insight into the ways in which we are striving to protect people
and the resources at Rocky Mountain National Park.