Rocky Mountain National Park Announces Pile Burning Operations For This Winter

Date: October 19, 2015
Contact: Kyle Patterson, [phone]

Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park plan to take advantage of upcoming wet or winter weather conditions to burn piles of slash generated from several fuels reduction projects and hazard tree removals. Slash from these projects has been cut and piled by park fire crews and contractors during the last two years and are now dry enough to burn.

When fighting 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 fire and Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping the fire from jumping Bear Lake Road. 

Pile burning operations will only begin when conditions allow. They may begin as early as November 1 and continue through April as conditions permit. The piles are located in a variety of locations on the east side of the park including inside the park boundary adjacent to Allenspark, around Eagle Cliff Mountain, along upper Fall River Road and Beaver Mountain. 

The fuels reduction projects are designed to reduce significant accumulations of forest fuels that can generate extreme or problematic fire behavior adjacent to the urban interface. By reducing the potential fire behavior the wildland fire risk to firefighters and the public is significantly reduced.  However, these projects are not designed as a stand-alone defense against wildfires nor are they guaranteed to hold a wildfire in the worst of conditions. Please do your part and complete wildfire mitigation on your property. To learn more about wildfire mitigation around your home visit www.firewise.org. 

Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality and other environmental regulations are continually monitored as a part of any fire management operation.  Prescribed fire smoke may affect your health.  For more information visit www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health. 

For questions about this project or information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call the park's Information Office at [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/romo