Firefighters Battle Big Meadows Fire In Rocky Mountain National Park
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (AP/CBS4) - High winds, low humidity and a large amount of beetle killed trees caused a fire burning in Rocky Mountain National Park to blow up on Tuesday.
The Big Meadows Fire grew from 2 to 3 acres Tuesday morning to an estimated 300 to 400 acres through the day.
"A recon flight this afternoon showed the fire moving to the northeast toward Nakai Peak," park spokesperson Kyle Patterson said in a statement.
Fire managers usually try to allow natural occurring fires to burn, partly to prevent bigger wildfires later. But Patterson said Tuesday that they decided to fight it instead because of extended drought conditions and reduced resources. She said the park's ability to manage a long burning fire is "significantly limited."
The Big Meadows Fire was started by lightning Monday on the west side of the park in an area with beetle-killed trees.
The fire doubled in size on Tuesday. It's estimated to be burning on about 75 acres, mostly in grass.
No structures have been destroyed and no evacuations have been ordered.
Currently there are five trails temporarily closed in the area - the Onahu Trail, the Green Mountain Trail, the lower Tonahutu Trail, the Tonahutu Spur Trail and the Grand Lake Lodge Spur Trail. All major roads in Rocky Mountain National Park are open.
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