Controlled Fires in Rocky Mountain National Park Create Critical Safety Buffer for Estes Park

A planned fire burned more than 60 acres in Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday. This happened in a busy area between the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and the park entrance.

Firefighters from several agencies worked together on this controlled burn. Their goal was to protect both the park and nearby Estes Park from future wildfires.

Reenact the natural process of wildfire
“We are trying to reenact the natural process of wildfire, how it was historically throughout the area,” explained Nathan Hallam, fuel specialist at RMNP, writes CBS News.

Hallam, who led the burn as ‘burn boss’, said this 60-acre project is just part of a bigger plan. The park wants to burn more than 1,800 acres over the next five years. But getting approval for such large burns on federal land takes a lot of work.

Clear line
Before the burn started, you could see a clear line near the park entrance. One side had shorter, greener plants. The other side had taller, dry grasses that can easily spread wildfires.

The team wanted to burn as much dry grass and shrubs as possible without harming trees. This required careful planning to protect wildlife and special plants.

“We need to make sure we don’t have any sensitive (wildlife) species that could be threatened or could be harmed by the prescribed burn we are doing out here,” Hallam said. “We have sensitive species that grow among the vegetation, and this is a great time of the year for burning before it starts to grow and green.”

Weather conditions must be perfect too. Winds need to be strong enough to clear smoke but not so strong they push fire toward Estes Park.

Park officials believe these controlled burns will protect the area for 5-10 years. Hallam pointed out that similar burns helped save Estes Park in 2020 when the East Troublesome Fire approached the town.

“This essentially creates a buffer from a wildfire moving into the community of Estes Park,” Hallam said.