142-acre Park County burn area less susceptible to high-intensity wildfire, Larimer sheriff says

The 142-acre U.S. Forest Service prescribed-burn area in Park County is now less susceptible to a high-intensity wildfire, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said.

The office posted on its Facebook page Oct. 20 that members of its Phantom Canyon Crew were home after a six-day assist on the O’Brien prescribed burn in Park County. The short assignment provided training opportunities for four of its wildland firefighters in hazard tree felling and burning, as well as what the office called invaluable engine experience. Those skills are necessary in local incidents, the office said.

Crews prepare prescribed-burn areas by cutting firelines and thinning undergrowth before ignition, the sheriff's office said. After weather conditions are assessed, crews attend a briefing and monitor flames to keep them from crossing the control line.