Rocky Mountain National Park Rallies to Recover in the Aftermath of the East Troublesome Fire

East Troublesome Fire in the Kawuneechee Valley. NPS, C. Kopek

On October 14, 2020, on the heels of the Cameron Peak Fire, an unknown source ignited the East Troublesome Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). One week later, the fire ran approximately 18 miles before moving onto the west side of the park. It then spotted 1.5 miles from the head to the other side of the Continental Divide. Rapid evacuations took place in Grand Lake, CO on October 21 and continued for the majority of the Estes Valley on October 22, as weather predictions forecast major winds for the next two days pushing the fire further east. The fire burned approximately 22,668 total acres in the park, including front country areas and designated wilderness. The fire affected park housing, offices, the park entrance station, trails, campsites, privies, bridges, wayfinding signs, the boundary, historic structures and landscapes, archeological resources, fisheries, wildlife, and vegetation.

Replacing erosion control structures and tread stabilization features, such cribbing, log retaining structures and water bars along the Sun Valley Trail. NPS

A scoping session was conducted with Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team members and park staff that identified 42 issues of concern. Immediate post-fire condition assessments in some of the areas burned were difficult to conduct due to the severity of damage, safety concerns, and wintry weather conditions. The Emergency Stabilization (ES) and Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) specifications were developed based on field observations, satellite imagery analysis, modeling efforts, and park expertise.

As staff assessed conditions in burn areas, park priorities evolved, driving post-fire stabilization activities and treatments. Trail crews cleared overhead hazards from the trail throughout the season. The wilderness crew determined 10 wilderness campsites must be obliterated and relocated due to asset damage, flooding potential, or exposure to hazard trees and downed logs. The trail crew, wilderness crew, vegetation crew, and cultural resources staff collaborated to rehabilitate trails. ROMO archeologists completed rapid post-fire archeological assessments along high priority trail corridors to support the reopening of trails/wilderness campsites and to ensure proposed repair/rehabilitation activities would not have an adverse effect to historic properties.

Footbridge along the Tonohutu Trail after the East Troublesome Fire. NPS

Despite the challenges of COVID, hiring, and the dynamic post-fire environment, the staff at ROMO rallied together as a team to implement ES and BAR treatments. Specific accomplishments include:

Surveyed and treated about 34 miles of trail for exotic plant infestations.

Reestablished a critical ungulate exclosure fence in the backcountry.

Stabilized 30 miles of trail by replacing erosion control structures and tread stabilization features, replacing seven multi-use bridges and 35 foot logs/footbridges, clearing fire-caused windthrow across trails, rerouting trails and recontouring and brushing campsites that were deemed unsafe or had sensitive features exposed.

Felled 68 acres of hazard trees that posed an imminent threat to life and safety.

Accomplished archeological site monitoring, protection, field data collection, and reporting to comply with Section 106 of NHPA for all Emergency Stabilization activities.

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