Park City pile burning starts today — please do not report

Smoke from a controlled burn on Treasure Hill is visible from Park City Nov. 15, 2023. Photo: TownLift

Smoke will be visible during operations and as piles smolder overnight

Park City Municipal has contracted with Alpine Forestry to conduct pile burning operations as soon as today, Wednesday, Nov. 15, of an estimated 1,500 piles of dead trees and underbrush scattered over 55 acres on the Treasure Hill property.

The objective is to remove wildfire fuels in areas that are too steep for other removal methods, to create defensible space.

Reasons for burning:

• Park City lies within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which means conditions are conducive to a large-scale wildland fire event, thereby posing significant threat to human life and property.
• Defensible space helps protect properties from catching fire – either from embers, direct flame, or radiant heat.
• In the event firefighters are needed to defend your home, defensible space provides a safe area to work in.

Smoke will be visible during operations and as piles smolder overnight, the city notes. Crews will ignite and monitor the piles until they’re extinguished.