Firefighters will burn about 100 acres of grasses in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) on Friday and Saturday, if conditions allow, to reduce the threat of wildfires burning near communities.
The National Park Service (NPS) said this prescribed burn plan is dependent on favorable weather.
The 100 acres planned to burn is part of the 334-acre Headquarters Unit just west of the Beaver Meadows Visitors Center and entrance on the east side of the park.
Most of this unit is grasses, so the NPS said "heavy and prolonged smoke is not expected," though visitors — and people east of the park — may notice it throughout the day. Burning the grasses will reduce how much fuel is available for any future wildfires, which can substantially slow down and stop a blaze.
This became crucial during the 2020 East Troublesome Fire and 2012 Fern Lake Fire, when firefighters took advantage of land that had been previously burned. This helped to protect the Town of Estes Park and prevented the fires from crossing Bear Lake Road and Trail Ridge Road.
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Impacts from 109 years of wildfires at Rocky Mountain National Park
On Friday and Saturday, visitors entering the park from the Beaver Meadows entrance may encounter some brief delays, or may be diverted to the Fall River Entrance, just northwest of Beaver Meadows.
U.S. Highway 36 through the Headquarters Unit area of the park will have traffic control in place, and drivers will not be allowed to stop, or walk, along that road within the burn area. Visitors also cannot walk in the burn area.
Fire information officers with NPS can answer questions at the Beaver Meadows Visitors Center.
If firefighters are able to burn grasses in the Headquarters Unit on Friday and Saturday, they will not only stay on scene throughout the day, but will patrol the burned area overnight once the operations conclude.
Staff at RMNP will continue to monitor weather conditions, air quality and other factors ahead of this prescribed burn. To keep up with the latest on this expected fire, visit RMNP's social media or Inciweb. Learn more about prescribed fires here.
Watch our Denver7+ special presentation on Rocky Mountain National Park below, where we dove into topics from its unique history to its recovery from wildfires and the marvel that is Trail Ridge Road.