Rocky Mountain National Park Begins 437-Acre Prescribed Burn West of Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
On November 4, firefighters began ignition operations for a 437-acre prescribed burn inside Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, about 2.5 miles west of Estes Park and west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. An update posted that afternoon on InciWeb, the interagency fire information system, said a test fire that morning had been successful and ignition operations were under way, led by Burn Boss N. Hallam.
According to the implementation plan the National Park Service (NPS) released on October 26, the treatment area lies on the park's east side, within the Eagle Cliff Unit and portions of the Headquarters Unit, between the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Bear Lake Road and including areas south of High Drive. Burning will be conducted over several days to limit daily smoke production. Its primary goal is to reduce grasses, light fuels and understory, lowering the wildfire threat to nearby communities and park infrastructure.
The ignition is part of the park's Front Country Prescribed Fire project, a roughly 3,000-acre project divided into smaller units that fire managers can complete as conditions allow. Since November 2024, firefighters have completed about 454 acres of the project. The park says introducing low-to-moderate intensity fire under favorable conditions and removing fuels in advance creates a fire break that can be used to defend the park and surrounding communities against future wildfires.
In its plan, the park recalled that during the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and the Fern Lake Fire in 2012, firefighters used earlier prescribed-fire and hazardous-fuels treatment areas as a buffer that helped protect the town of Estes Park and kept fire from jumping Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road.
U.S. Highway 36 remains open during the operations, but the park warns motorists to expect possible smoke near the roadway and to drive with caution. Traffic control will be in place on roads adjacent to the burn area, visitors passing through active burning areas may be escorted by fire personnel and may not stop along roadways, and temporary closures are possible. Smoke may be visible inside and outside the park and may drift east of the park. For more information, the park's Information Office can be reached at (970) 586-1206.
(Source: National Park Service)
Source: National Park Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：洛基山国家公园Front Country计划烧除项目作业资料图，消防人员在草甸上实施受控点火。美国国家公园管理局发布，公共领域，经InciWeb。 / Photo: Firefighters conducting prescribed-fire operations under the Front Country project at Rocky Mountain National Park, file photo. Released by the U.S. National Park Service, public domain, via InciWeb.
