Denver Mountain Parks Prepares for Prescribed Pile Burning

Denver Mountain Parks Prepares for Prescribed Pile Burning

Published on December 03, 2025

Denver Mountain Parks Forestry, Fire, and Natural Resource division is preparing for prescribed pile burning on open space lands beginning this week and continuing into the spring of 2026. Piles of woody debris (slash) are burned to help reduce hazardous fuels. As conditions allow, prescribed burning of slash on the administrative unit will take place at the following locations:

• Dedisse Park (39.629 N 105.335 W) approximately 1 mile west of downtown Evergreen, CO (Jefferson County) - Evergreen Fire Protection District
• Fillius Park (39.695 N 105.346 W) approximately 5.9 miles north of downtown Evergreen, CO (Jefferson County) - Evergreen Fire Protection District
• Pence Mtn along State Highway 103 (39.685 N 105.407 W) approximately 7.4 miles northwest of Evergreen, CO (Clear Creek County) -- Evergreen Fire Protection District
• North Turkey Creek (39.583 N 105.281 W) approximately 3 miles north of Aspen Park (Jefferson County) -- Evergreen Fire Protection District
• Legault North 40 (39.536 N 105.252 W) approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Aspen Park (Jefferson County) - Elk Creek Fire Protection District
• Cub Creek along S. Brook Forest (39.616 N 105.328 W) approximately 1 mile south of Evergreen (Jefferson County) -- Evergreen Fire Protection District
• Berrian Mtn (39.567 N, 105.301 W) approximately 2 miles north of Conifer (Jefferson County) -- Evergreen Fire Protection District

The prescribed fire projects goals are to reduce the accumulation of hazardous fuels, restore and maintain healthy and diverse ecosystems, and maintain and enhance wildlife habitat. Prescribed fire is an important tool in reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire across the landscape and can help prevent extreme fires by reducing fuel buildup.

Piles consist of small trees, as well as treetops and limbs, cut and piled during forest management/fire mitigation and/or other vegetation management projects. Slash piles vary in size but average a size of around 6'x6'x6'. All piles were created by hand and contain a very limited amount of non-wood debris.

Ignitions will occur only when weather and fuel conditions meet established parameters and when smoke impacts can be managed within state requirements. Ignition and burning operations may continue for several days or weeks depending on the number of piles being burned. Fire personnel will monitor the burn piles until the fires are completely out.

Prescribed fires minimize impacts to air quality when compared to wildfires. Prescribed fire smoke may affect people's health. Once the prescribed fire begins, smoke may be present for several days or weeks in the general project areas.

Find more information on forestry, fire and natural resource projects taking place in Denver's Mountain Parks.

As stewards of a legacy park system, Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) is dedicated to customer service and enhancing the health of residents and the environment through innovative programs and safe, beautiful, and sustainable places. The DPR system includes 30 recreation centers and over 20,000 acres of urban and mountain parkland including off-street trails, parkways, and natural areas.

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