DENVER (CBS4) – If you’re seeing a plume of smoke in the Denver metro area, it’s because crews are doing a prescribed burn at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

(credit: CBS)
Crews with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are planning to burn about 500 acres on the wildlife refuge.
READ MORE: Parker Family 'Shellshocked' After Being Booted From Flight Over Mask IssueIt could last through Friday.

(credit: CBS)
Wildlife officials do these burns every so often to help regrow the native habitat and cut down on fuels that pose wildfire risks.
READ MORE: Drug Lab Inside Denver Homeless Camp Causes Explosion, City Finds 30 Propane TanksWildfire Resources
– Visit CBSDenver.com’s Living With Wildfire section.
Wildfire Photo Galleries
MORE NEWS: Fund Set Up For Brad Brubaker's Family, Victim In Denver Highlands Crash– See images from the most destructive wildfires (Black Forest, Waldo Canyon, High Park and Fourmile), the deadliest (Storm King) and largest wildfire (Hayman) in Colorado history.