Single Publication

7:00 p.m. 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. An evening video update will be available on Rocky Mountain National Park's social media and Rocky's YouTube Channel. 

4:00 p.m. Crews have completed ignitions for the day. Firefighters will be patrolling unit boundaries until dark, when night shift will begin patrolling through the night. Due to low visibility and smoke from late afternoon ignitions, highway 36 from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to Bear Lake Road junction was temporarily closed. Visitors traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park should use U.S. Highway 34 via Fall River Entrance to enter and exit Rocky Mountain National Park. 

2:30 p.m. Crews have completed the first section of today's prescribed fire and are moving on to another section, which will move operations south of Highway 36 and the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. Motorists are asked to be vigilant as fire operations continue along the roadway. All eastbound traffic continues to be routed through the Fall River Entrance/U.S. Highway 34 back to Estes Park. 

1:00 p.m. Winds have shifted to being out of the east/southeast, which has caused smoke to largely blow into Rocky Mountain National Park. Crews will be reconfiguring to continue firing operations with the wind shift. 

11:30 a.m. Weather & conditions are favorable for crews to continue with firing operations today, Saturday, November 2. Approximately 50 firefighters representing several cooperating agencies will be part of today’s operations. Ignitions began at 11:00 a.m. just south of Highway 36, south of the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station.

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.

Today, U.S. Highway 36 will be open to west-bound traffic only from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center 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, use Fall River Entrance/U.S. Highway 34 to return to Estes Park.

Smoke impacts west of the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station and Bear Lake road are expected to be minimal.

In person fire information will be available at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center until 4:30 p.m. Additional updates will be available on the park's official social media channels and on this InciWeb page