Firefighters plan to set 100 acres ablaze at Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday and Saturday in a prescribed burn event, if weather conditions allow, according to a spokesman for the park.
The area in question is almost a third of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit, which is within park limits. They plan to burn mostly grasses west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. 36.
The primary goal is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and National Park Service infrastructure, Kyle Patterson, the spokesman, said in a news release Wednesday.
When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, Patterson said firefighters took advantage of previous and existing prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas that created a buffer between the fires and the town of Estes Park.
Prior prescribed burns helped prevent either wildland fire from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge roads, Patterson said.
Firefighters will patrol the burned area overnight after operations conclude each day, Patterson said in the release. Residents will see smoke throughout the day of the burn. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas, Patterson said.
Park visitors may see brief traffic delays near the Beaver Meadows entrance during fire operations. Drivers should watch for fire personnel vehicles and allow themselves extra time to enter the park, Patterson said.
Additional information will be shared on InciWeb at inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cormp-front-country-prescribed-fire and on RMNP’s social media channels.
Personnel will keep drivers from stopping along U.S. 36 during the burn. Part of fire management operations includes continued monitoring of safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations. Contact the park information office with questions: (970) 586-1206.