Years of drought combined with a warming climate has led to more fires, larger fires, and more intense fires than have been experienced in recorded history. Wildfires are becoming a more common occurrence throughout the western United States. Park visitors are urged to use caution and vigilance regarding the use of fire in authorized locations.Ībout Wildfires in Rocky Mountain National Park Fireworks are always prohibited within the park. Rocky Mountain National Park always has Stage 1 fire restrictions in place, where campfires are prohibited in the park, except within designated campfire rings in picnic areas and front-country campgrounds. We use the higher of the two ratings.) Stage 1 Fire Restrictions (Rocky Mountain National Park is included in the East Divide FDRA and the West Divide FDRA. It is essential that all of us remain vigilant and take the fire restrictions seriously. Expect the fire danger to be high through the autumn. Weather models predict a warmer and drier autumn than normal. Outdoor burning should be restricted to early morning and late evening hours. Control through direct attack may be difficult but possible, and mop up will be required. Fires in heavy, continuous fuel, such as mature grassland, weed fields, and forest litter, will be difficult to control under windy conditions. The "high" rating means wildfires are likely. It is therefore important to stay aware of the changing conditions and restrictions so each of us can help prevent the start of wildfires. A timeline on when the substation will be back up and running was unknown yesterday.Last updated: Aug(Updated several times a week during fire season)įire is a serious danger in the mountain west. While the investigation continues into the cause of the fire, RMP is readying a spare transformer the company has in stock to replace the one that was destroyed. The charred and blackened transformer was still smoldering late Thursday morning.
#Rocky mountain power fire Offline#
Erickson confirmed the substation was offline after the fire, and will energy production has been impacted. However, ranchers in the area said the crowded fields of wind turbines around the substation stood still on Thursday, their blades not turning. The last unit drove off the scene at 7:20.Įlectrical distribution lines to RMP customers in Carbon County were not affected, and normal residential and commercial use was uninterrupted. Rutherford said the first units started leaving around 3:00 in the morning, about a half-hour after they arrived. Most of the county fire engines didn’t stay on the scene long.
Overnight rain may have helped limit the damage. Rutherford said their role was very limited.
Four engines from Medicine Bow and two from Hanna responded to the fire. Erickson said the fire is believed to have started around 1:00 a.m., but did not have the exact time.Ĭarbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford told Bigfoot 99 that the call came in 2:25 Wednesday morning. The transformer sits in the middle of the substation surrounded by electrical infrastructure, power lines and wind turbines.
Photos courtesy of Bill Ellis and Lenny Layman. Pictured above: A fire at the Aeolus substation north of Medicine Bow destroyed this large 500 kilovolt transformer. RMP spokesperson Tiffany Erickson said the transformer was completely destroyed in the large electrical fire. The cause of an early morning fire Wednesday that destroyed a 500-kilovott transformer at Rocky Mountain Power’s Aeolus substation north of Medicine Bow remains under investigation.
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