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Prescribed Burn Puts Up Smoke In Northeast Metro Area

DENVER (CBS4) - A prescribed burn that took place in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge put up a significant amount of smoke on Friday.

Officials said the burn covered 280 acres and lasted until just before 5 p.m. It was intended to "regenerate grasses, get rid of weeds, and improve wildlife."

The refuge is located north of Denver's Stapleton neighborhood and east of Commerce City.

In prescribed burns, officials burn a selected area of dry grasses that might be prone to catching fire if a wildland fire were to break out. The fires are closely monitored and controlled.

There's also an upcoming prescribed burn project planned for an area north of Boulder in the Lefthand Canyon area. That project will start on Saturday and will take several days to complete, according to authorities.

It is taking place in the Heil Valley Ranch Open Space.

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