Teton Interagency Fire crews will burn piles created from fuel reduction projects in Grand Teton National Park thi week. Firefighters have focused on fuel reduction efforts in developed areas to reduce wildfire risk, and pile burning is the last step in the thinning process.
Fuel reduction includes thinning and removing lower limbs from trees and the removal of dead wood and brush from the forest floor. Firefighters then place the wood and brush into pyramid-shaped piles and let them cure for a year before burning them. Firefighters will burn the piles under low fire behavior conditions resulting from wet weather and snow accumulation. Smoke may be visible from these piles during the day of ignition and may linger in the area for a few days.
Fuel reduction burns are planned near the following locations:
- Bar BC Ranch
- Colter Bay
- Elk Ranch Flats
- Beaver Creek
- Grassy Island
It is difficult to predict exactly when the burning will occur because reduction piles are only ignited under certain conditions, including favorable smoke dispersal and weather conditions that limit the chance of fire spread. Fire managers may continue pile burning over the next several months as weather conditions allow. Public and firefighter safety is always the priority in all burn operations. 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.
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