RMNP Announces Plans for Prescribed Burn this Friday and Saturday if Conditions Allow

Based upon the potential for favorable weather and fuels conditions, fire managers at Rocky Mountain National Park are planning to conduct a prescribed burn beginning on Friday, November 1, 2024. Firefighters plan to burn approximately 100 acres of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2. This burn unit is located inside Rocky Mountain National Park, west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36. Because of the fuel type that will be burned, which include mainly grasses, heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected from this operation.

The primary goal of the project is to reduce the threat of wildland fire to adjacent communities and NPS infrastructure by using prescribed fire to reduce the amount of fuels available in this area. When fighting the East Troublesome Fire in 2020 and 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 fires and the town of Estes Park. Prior hazard fuels projects were instrumental in stopping both fires from crossing Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Roads.

If conditions are favorable, ignitions are planned to occur on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation and will be patrolling the burned area overnight after operations conclude each day. Smoke from the prescribed burn will be visible throughout the day of the burn, mostly during the warmest part of the day. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas.

Fire operations near the Beaver Meadows Entrance to RMNP may cause brief delays or divert outbound traffic through Fall River Entrance. Motorists should watch for fire vehicles on the roads and allow extra time for entering and exiting the park. Traffic control will be in place on U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Additional information will be shared on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/i... and on RMNP’s official social media channels. NPS Fire Information Officers will be available at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to answer questions.

For the safety of visitors and firefighters, park visitors will not be allowed to stop along U.S. Highway 36 within the burn area. Visitors will also not be able to walk within the burn area.

Smoke may be visible both inside and outside the park. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke impacts on visitors and the adjacent community; however, some smoke is anticipated to disperse east of the park. Smoke may affect your health: For more information see https://www.colorado.gov/pacif....

Safety factors, weather conditions, air quality, personnel availability and environmental regulations are continually monitored as part of any fire management operation. For more information please contact the park Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

NOV 1 2024 UPDATE #1

Weather and fuels conditions remained favorable today for Rocky Mountain National Park's Front Country Prescribed Fire. NPS fire managers are being supported by numerous other fire resources.
Visitors traveling on U.S. Highway 36 near Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Beaver Meadows Entrance experienced minor delays and smoke.

Firefighters completed ignitions at approximately 4:15 p.m. Crews remain in the field and will monitor the units that were burned overnight. Smoke was light to moderate through most of the day and dispersal went as anticipated. With cooler temperatures in the evening, smoke may linger and accumulate in low-lying areas. Firefighters are planning to continue with the prescribed fire tomorrow, if conditions allow.

Stay tuned on Rocky's official social media channels and Inciweb (https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/i...) tomorrow for additional updates.

NOV 1 2024 UPDATE #2

Rocky Mountain National Park's Front Country Prescribed Fire operations continue today due to favorable conditions.

Approximately 50 firefighters representing several cooperating agencies are part of today’s operations.
Visitors traveling to the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park are encouraged to use Fall River Entrance via U.S. Highway 34 when entering and exiting the park. Expect traffic delays and smoke on the roadway along U.S. Highway 36 inside RMNP.

Currently, U.S. Highway 36 is open to west-bound traffic only from Beaver Meadows VC to Beaver Meadows Entrance. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when driving on U.S. Highway 36 between the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Bear Lake Road due to smoke, visibility and fire crews working along the road. To exit RMNP on the east side of the park, visitors are directed to use Fall River Entrance/U.S. Highway 34 to return to Estes Park.

In person fire information will be available at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center until 4:30 p.m.

NOV 1 2024 UPDATE #3

Ignitions on the Headquarters Unit of the Front Country Prescribed Fire have been successfully completed, with approximately 100 acres treated during the past two days.

Crews were successful in introducing low-to-moderate intensity fire on the landscape and have removed fuels, including grasses and low shrubs. Another goal of this prescribed fire was to raise the bottoms of the canopies of trees and to increase crown spacing within the fire area.

To do this, some low branches on trees may burn in addition to the grasses and nearby brush. Raising the “crown base height” of trees decreases the likelihood that a future wildfire would move into the canopies of the trees. This work will help serve as a fuel break against potential future wildfires.

Fire crews will remain on site overnight. Visibility along U.S. Highway 36 has improved and smoke will continue to linger. U.S. Highway 36 inside Rocky Mountain National Park has reopened in both directions.

Fire Managers at Rocky Mountain National Park would like to thank all of the personnel involved in this operation over the past two days. Numerous cooperators, including federal, state, and local partners have been working with NPS staff in a variety of roles to ensure the safety of both firefighters and the visiting public.