Officials planning burn near Zion National Park

ZION NATIONAL PARK — Officials are planning a 2,800-acre burn near the park's northern boundary meant to reduce the risks of future fires.

The Pocket Mesa burn is planned for the week of Oct. 4, but its actual start will depend on the weather and the number of firefighting resources available. It will run near the Kolob Terrace road, but park officials are expecting "nothing major" in terms of closures, said the National Parks Service's David Eaker.

"It'll just be short road delays or one trail that's closed for a day, things like that," Eaker said.

The burn will be hand-ignited and will most likely last six to seven days, he said. This burn is meant to reduce the potential for future fires and protect privately owned lands in the area by eliminating fuels that may have built up in the area. It is also part of allowing fire to play its "natural role in the ecosystem," Eaker said.

The fire will be monitored by firefighters daily until they are certain the burn is complete and the fire is entirely extinguished.

— Emiley Morgan