Plane wreckage, fire line repairs prompt early Hermit Park Open Space closure
Hermit Park Open Space escaped damage from the Kruger Rock Fire but closed a month earlier than normal due to mitigation of fire lines in the park and removal of the firefighting plane that crashed while battling the November blaze.
The Larimer County-managed, 1,362-acre open space 2 miles southeast of Estes Park was originally scheduled to close Dec. 20, but closed Nov. 16 due to the fire and plane crash and never reopened.
The area, which is home to campgrounds and the Kruger Rock Trail, closes in late fall each year due to snow and to protect wintering range for big game animals such as elk. Hermit Park will reopen March 1, 2022, if weather allows.
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The Kruger Rock Fire burned 147 acres before being 100% contained Nov. 20, five days after it started when strong wind blew a tree across power lines, causing them to arc and start the fire.
Stephen Gibson, the district manager who oversees Hermit Park, said there was "very minimal damage'' from spot fires and the creation of fire lines in the open space and that the majority of the fire was on the Roosevelt National Forest.
The day the fire started, Nov. 16, Marc Thor Olson, a pilot for Fort Morgan-based CO Fire Aviation, died when his specially-equipped single-engine Air Tractor AT-802 plane crashed while on what is believed to be the state's first fixed-wing nighttime firefighting mission.
Gibson said wreckage of the plane has been removed from Hermit Park, with crews — including a helicopter — working most of Monday to haul it away from the steep, wooded area on the border of the open space and national forest.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash.
Preliminary report: Witnesses saw plane battling Kruger Rock Fire roll before fatal crash
Red Mountain Open Space closes for season
The seasonal winter closure of the sprawling Larimer County property 25 miles north of Fort Collins began Wednesday.
The property is closed to the public during winter because of inclement weather conditions and to protect wintering range for mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep.
The 15,780-acre open space will reopen to the public March 1, 2022.
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Kruger Rock Fire plane wreckage, removed from forest near Estes Park
