If you see smoke northeast of Denver this March or April, you may not need to worry.
It’s most likely a prescribed burn at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, where federal authorities are using controlled fires to treat the landscape over the coming weeks.
Federal officials said up to 1,997 acres at the Arsenal will be burned to “reinvigorate the growth of native prairie vegetation, reduce accumulated litter, manage efforts for weed control and improve habitat to sustain wildlife.” Controlled burns are a common way to reduce wildfire risk.
The prescribed burns started last week and are expected to continue as conditions allow over the next two months. Burns can only happen in certain weather, wind and air quality conditions.
The Arsenal is about eight miles northeast of Union Station. It is east of Commerce City, north of Montbello, and west of the airport. Since the refuge is so large, smoke may appear to rise from different spots on the horizon.
The smoke is sparking concerns.
Photos of smoke columns from the Arsenal have been popping up on social media lately. People are understandably concerned about wildfires after a very weird winter in Denver.
February was Denver’s least snowy on record, and the area was in extreme drought last week ahead of the Friday storm. As the saying goes, “We need the moisture.”
The National Weather Service warned of “elevated fire weather concerns” on Monday, with conditions expected to get worse as the week continues. Thursday will be especially windy and warm, with temperatures exceeding 70 degrees.
