News Release
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Contact: Peter Densmore
Officials at Bryce Canyon National Park announced today that the burning of debris piles created from fuel reduction treatment projects within the Lodge Historic District and near Fairyland Point are expected to begin this week. Pile burning will begin first around the Lodge Historic District, located 2 miles from the park’s Visitor Center. No park closures are planned.
Burning of these 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 primary goal of this 80-acre fuel reduction project is to reduce the amount of hazardous fuel accumulation around the Lodge Historic District and thus reduce the risks from wildfire to historic 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. Work was completed by the park’s wildland fire crew as well as crews from the Utah Conservation Corps, American Conservation Experience, Arizona Conservation Corps, and volunteer groups.
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.For more information about wildland fire management at Bryce Canyon, visit the park’s Wildland Fire page, contact the park via social media, or by e-mail at e-mail us
Last updated: January 4, 2023