Prescribed fire planned at Devils Tower National Monument

"The staff at Devils Tower National Monument are planning to conduct a prescribed burn to restore the natural process of fire to the ecosystem and reduce the build-up of dead and dried fuels," announced Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski. The fire is planned for later this month or in May. Depending on conditions, approximately 165 acres will be burned in the West Side Unit which is along the western boundary of the park.

The National Park Service's Northern Great Plains Fire Management Team will be watching for a weather window that meets necessary conditions, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and the amount of moisture in the dead vegetation. If conditions are not exactly right, the fire will be rescheduled for a later date.

During the prescribed burn, there may be periodic heavy smoke as well as increased firefighter vehicle traffic. The visitor center will maintain its regular hours seven days per week from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. There are no road closures planned.