Big Meadows fire

Big Meadows fire
Statistics
Date(s) June 10, 2013 - June 16, 2013
Land use National Park Service

The Big Meadows fire was a 2013 Colorado wildfire in Rocky Mountain National Park [1] that started on the same day as the Black Forest Fire and the Royal Gorge fire.

Background

The Big Meadows fire started on June 10, 2013 around 3:30 p.m. due to a lighting strike, and it originated in a grass area.[2] It was recorded and estimated to have taken about 617 acres.[2] It was located about 5 miles north of Grand Lake, Colorado and about 4.5 miles away from the Green Mountain Trailhead.[2] The fires recorded to have been located on the north end of Big Meadows and on the west side of the Rocky Mountain National Park.[3] It was recorded that no residential structures or communities were threatened by this fire, and all major roads remained open in the Rocky Mountain National Park; Estes Park, Colorado; and Grand Lake, Colorado throughout the fire.[4] The fire had the ability to rapidly spread due to the factors of high winds, high temperatures, low humidity, and a large amount of beetle kill.[5] Firefighters completed a burnout operation to prevent the fire from spreading south and endangering local water reservoirs.[6] Firefighters used a pre-existing avalanche chute as a natural control line between the affected area and the unaffected area then set flame to the unaffected area between the chute and the fire to burn up all the fuel.[7] Although the fire was considered one hundred percent contained after thirty days with no smoke and five inches of rain fall, it was not considered officially out until the winter snowfall.[8] Seven trails were closed due to the fire: the Onahu Trail, the Green Mountain Trail and the Lower Tonahutu Trail, the Tonahutu Spur Trail, the Grand Lake Lodge Spur Trail, and the Timber Lake Trail.[9] The trails were reopened after thirty days without smoke. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Big Meadows Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park problematic due to dead trees". Denver Post.
  2. 1 2 3 "Big Meadows". InciWeb. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Big Meadows". InciWeb. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "Big Meadows". InciWeb. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Big Meadows". InciWeb. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  6. ↑ Way, Brooke. "Big Meadows Fire Burns 600 Acres at Rocky Mountain National Park". FOX31 Denver KDVR-TV. FOX31 Denver KDVR-TV. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "Big Meadows Fire". National Park Service. The National Park Service. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Big Meadows Fire". National Park Service. The National Park Service. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "Big Meadows Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park problematic due to dead trees". Denver Post. The Denver Post. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Big Meadows Fire". National Park Service. The National Park Service. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
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