Drivers going past Chadron State Park may seek smoke there periodically through the end of February as Nebraska Game and Parks continues to clean up from last summer’s West Ash Fire.

Mike Groenewold is heading up the project and says it entails cutting down, piling up, and burning some of the trees at the park that were killed by the fire…which reached it height in the park August 30th and 31st.

Groenewold says the work…from felling and cutting up the trees to the actual slash fires…will be done in-house using Game and Parks personnel from other locations to supplement Chadron State Park Superintendent Dave Kinnamon and his staff.

The initial burn piles will be near the campground and in the horse pasture area near the swimming pool, but Groenewold says additional burn areas may be established on the west side of the park as the project progresses.

No burning will be done on weekends, but Groenewold warns that smoke from smoldering piles may continue on weekends.