Despite Sunday's snowstorm that dumped up to two feet of snow along the Front Range, officials are not yet ready to declare the out.
The fire began Oct. 9 in Rocky Mountain National Park and grew to nearly 6 square miles. Rain and snow during December knocked down the fire considerably, but it .
鈥淭here鈥檚 been no smoke visible for more than a month,鈥� says RMNP spokeswoman Kyle Patterson. Officials can鈥檛 verify whether it鈥檚 out until they can fly over the area using infrared, which Patterson says won鈥檛 happen for a few months.
The fire was believed to be sparked by an illegal campfire, though the cause is still under investigation. Because it鈥檚 burning in a canyon with large amounts of dead and downed trees, Patterson says it鈥檚 likely the fire is still moving through that fuel.
Officials are concerned about the upcoming fire season, since the weather continues to be extremely dry. Although Sunday鈥檚 snowstorm dropped less than six inches over the area, light snow is expected for the northern mountains Tuesday.
U.S. Forest Service firefighters in the Canyon Lakes Ranger District are planning to take advantage of the recent snowfall to burn slash piles. That means smoke may be visible from burns Monday south and west of the Big Elk Meadows subdivision, and Tuesday near Pingree Hill.
