News Release

Bryce Canyon National Park to Burn Debris Piles

Date: January 5, 2021
Contact: Peter Densmore

Officials at Bryce Canyon National Park announced today that the burning of debris piles created from fuel reduction treatment projects at Rainbow Point and an area west of the Bryce Lodge known as the Mixing Circle is expected to begin this week. Pile burning will begin first at Rainbow Point, located 17 miles from the park’s Visitor Center at the southern end of the main park road. A one-day closure of the Bristlecone Loop Trail is expected. No other park closures are planned.

Burning of the over 250 debris piles will continue as long as specific weather conditions allow for acceptable smoke dispersal and little chance of fire spread. All burning activities will be done in such a way as to minimize impacts to the park’s resources, visitors, and surrounding communities. Smoke from the debris piles may be visible to park visitors and local residents, but should produce only minor, localized impacts. The piles may smolder for a few days after ignition, but fire staff will closely monitor them until declared out.   

The goal of these 70-acre fuel reduction projects is to reduce the amount of hazardous fuel accumulation around the Rainbow Point and park housing areas and thus reduce the risks from wildfire to structures and other facilities. The fuel reduction project was begun using mechanical methods such as chainsaws and other hand tools to reduce and thin accumulated material, both live and dead. The debris was then placed into piles away from structures and trees to be burned by park personnel once snow and other weather conditions permit. 

Previous fuels reduction work in the Rainbow Point area was crucial to wildland fire crews’ ability to safely manage the 2018 Riggs and Lonely fires, which burned over 2,200 acres across National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service land to the southeast of Rainbow Point.

Current closure information can be found by visiting the park’s website at www.nps.gov/brca and clicking on the Alerts icon, or by calling the park’s main information line at [phone].