GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Next week, Teton Interagency Fire crews will begin burning piles in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) as part of fuel reduction efforts.
Starting as early as Nov. 9, planned burns will take place near Colter Bay, Beaver Creek, Elk Ranch, and Kelly Pit. GTNP said in a news release that exact timing is difficult to predict. Crews will only ignite piles when weather and smoke conditions are favorable and the risk of fire spreading is low. The burning could continue over the next several months as conditions allow.
“Public and firefighter safety is always the priority in all burn operations,” GTNP said. “Fire management staff will monitor the piles to assure complete combustion and consumption of all fuels and to assess conditions. If smoke lingers, signs will be posted along roadsides to remind drivers to use headlights for safer travel.”
Firefighters have been focused on the fuel reduction efforts to reduce wildfire risk in developed areas, and pile burning is the final step in the thinning process. The operations include thinning and removing lower limbs from trees and removing dead wood and brush from the forest floor. Crews then place the wood and brush into pyramid-shaped piles, where the material cures for a year. The piles will be burned under low fire risk conditions. Smoke could be visible from the piles and could linger in the area for a few days.
