Estes Park began to smell a lot like a giant campfire Friday as Rocky Mountain National Park began a planned 2-day prescribed burn.
The Front County Prescribed Fire, located inside the park on the west of the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and south of U.S. Highway 36, is expected to continue on Saturday if conditions allow. NPS fire managers are being supported by numerous other fire resources.
According to a statement released by Kyle Patterson, RMNP’s management specialist and public affairs officer, 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.
Prescribed fire and hazardous fuels treatment areas can provide a buffer between the urban and wildland interface when there is a fire.
Visitors traveling on U.S. Highway 36 near Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Beaver Meadows Entrance can expect to experience minor delays and smoke, and residents in the Estes Valley will continue to smell smoke. For information about woodsmoke on air quality and health, click here.
For updates about the Front Country Prescribed Fire, follow along at Inciweb or look for RMNP’s official social media channels.
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