Park City alerts residents of prescribed pile burns scheduled for Treasure Hill

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

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City Municipal is alerting residents of a prescribed pile burning operation on Treasure Mountain scheduled to begin Friday.

Residents can expect to see smoke visible during operations and piles smoldering overnight. The piles may remain hot for several days as crews remain onsite to ignite and monitor piles until all heat is extinguished.

Crew vehicles will be parked on the roadside near work sites and trail/area closures will be enacted as deemed necessary for safety. There will be approximately 11 piles burned throughout the open space areas.

The city has contracted Alpine Forestry to conduct the burns, which aim to reduce wildfire risk and promote forest health where steep and isolated terrain eliminate options for chipping or removing material.

Officials noted Park City lies within the state’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which means conditions are conducive to a large-
scale wildfire, posing a significant threat to the community, human life, or property. Pile burns aim to create defensible space that can slow or stop the spread of wildfires and give firefighters a safe area to work in.

The timing of the work is in alignment with a 2022 wildlife assessment that recommends to avoid wildfire mitigation activities from May through July. If weather or air quality conditions prevent burning during the primary window, work may extend into Fall 2026, according to the city.