Bryce Canyon National Park to Burn Debris Piles at Rainbow Point

BRYCE, UT – Officials at Bryce Canyon National Park announced today that the burning of debris piles created from a recent fuel reduction treatment project at Rainbow Point is expected to begin sometime in spring of 2017. Burning of the approximately 25-30 debris piles may begin as early as April 3rd, and will continue only when specific weather conditions allow for acceptable smoke dispersal and little chance of fire spread. All burning activities will be done in such a way as to minimize impacts to the park’s resources, visitors and the surrounding communities. Rainbow Point is located at the south end of the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, 17 miles from the park’s Visitor Center. No closures are anticipated.

 

The goal of the 50-acre Rainbow Point fuel reduction project is to reduce the amount of hazardous fuel accumulation around the Rainbow Point Visitor Access Area and thus reduce the risks from wildfire to structures and other facilities. The fuel reduction project was begun using mechanical methods utilizing chainsaws and other hand tools to reduce/thin the accumulated material, both live and dead. The debris was then placed into piles away from structures and trees to be burned by park personnel when weather conditions permit. Smoke from the debris piles may be visible to park visitors and local residents, but should produce only minor, localized impacts. The piles may smolder for a few days after ignition, but fire staff will closely monitor them until declared out.

 

Additional information can also be obtained by calling the park’s main information line at (435) 834-5322.

-NPS-

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.  Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.