Prescribed Burns Postponed At Rocky Mountain Arsenal Refuge

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP/CBS4) - The first in a series of prescribed burns planned at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in the northeast Denver area was postponed on Tuesday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planned to begin the fires on Tuesday if the weather was favorable but had to cancel them. It's possible Wednesday's fires could be canceled as well. It could take until Friday to complete them.

Officials say the plan calls for a total of less than 1 square mile to be burned. Local and federal firefighters will be on the scene.

Officials say nearby residents might see and smell smoke.

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Refuge managers say prescribed burns invigorate the growth of prairie vegetation, control weeds and reduce the risk of wildfires.

The 24-square-mile refuge was once an industrial site that manufactured deadly nerve gas for the military. Later, agricultural chemicals were made there.

A $2.1 billion cleanup was completed in 2010.

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