Fire Protection and Prevention at Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park - Fire Web Site

INTRODUCTION
For approximately one hundred years, fire suppression in the southwest has increased fuel loadings and density of vegetation in many areas. The likelihood of large destructive wildfires in Mesa Verde National Park is increasing due to increased fuel loadings and recent drought conditions, posing threats to the park’s infrastructure, cultural and natural resources, and human safety. Because of the increased threat of large wildfires, Mesa Verde has implemented several strategies to help protect the park’s resources and human life. In addition to basic suppression, the park has initiated programs for prescribed fire and hazard fuel reduction. Although the threat of fire still exists, Mesa Verde National Park is becoming increasingly prepared to defend itself because of these fire protection and prevention programs.

RECENT LARGE FIRES AT MESA VERDE
In the last seven years, five large wildfires have occurred at Mesa Verde National Park. A total of 28,340 acres - over 50 percent of the park - burned within park boundaries in these fires. Large wildfires such as Chapin 5, Bircher, Pony, Long Mesa and Balcony House Complex Fires threaten park structures, cultural and natural resources, and human safety, and incur huge suppression costs. Click here for Fire Maps

BALCONY HOUSE COMPLEX FIRE
On July 15, 2003 at approximately 5:30 pm a dry thunderstorm cell passed over Mesa Verde with multiple lightning strikes. Due to extreme drought conditions, fuel moisture and record breaking high temperatures, a series of small fires erupted along southern ridgetops in the park and on Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. By Wednesday morning an estimated 400 acres were burning. Park visitors and employees were evacuated by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. The Balcony House Complex fire burned in steep terrain and initial attack was by air with limited ground support. Additional aerial support and ground crews arrived early the evening of July 16th. Multiple federal agencies, and local fire departments assisted in the effort. There were no threats to alcove sites or structures within the park.

LONG MESA FIRE
Started July 29, 2002 at approximately 2:00PM - Summer of 2002 had brought extremely dry climate and record breaking low fuel moisture content. The Fire Management Office staff and fire crews have spent a great deal of time and effort to reduce hazardous fuels in the developed areas of the park this year. Park structures and infrastructure will continue to be at risk until containment lines have been secured around these areas. The benefit of thinning fuels around developed areas has paid off as many more structures could have been lost without it. Steep canyons with extensive rimrock and vertical slopes presented major impediments to firefighting efforts. Friday, August 2, 2002, monsoonal rains brought moisture on scene and helped bring the fire in check. By Monday, August 5, 2002 the fire was 100% contained. Much work is ahead of park staff to provide safe working and living environments.

PONY: August 2000. 5,420 acres burned (1,352 in park). 508 personnel, 4 helicopters, 24 engines assigned to the fire. 605,750 gallons of water and 232,057 gallons of retardant dropped. 3 structures lost, 4 severely damaged. COST OF SUPPRESSION: $2.86 MILLION. VALUE OF INFRASTRUCTURE LOST: $1 MILLION.

The Plume dominated Bircher Fire as seen from the Park entrance. Point Lookout at center of photo.

BIRCHER: July 2000. 23,607 acres burned (19,607 in park). 1,016 personnel, 5 helicopters, 6 air tankers, 61 engines assigned to the fire. 110,000 gallons of water and 427,670 gallons of retardant dropped. 1 structure lost, 1 severely damaged. COST OF SUPPRESSION: $5.6 MILLION.

View of Chapin 5 Fire from Visitor Center

CHAPIN 5: August 1996. 4,781 acres burned, all inside the park. 649 personnel, 5 helicopters, 5 air tankers, 16 engines assigned to the fire at its peak. Suppression damages included 11.3 miles of handline, 3 helispots, and 151,080 gallons of retardant dropped. COST OF SUPPRESSION: $2 MILLION.

Reaserch and Maintenance areas on Chapin Mesa that have been thinned of dead and live fuel.

FUEL THINNING
Around developed areas on Chapin Mesa, the forest has been thinned to twenty foot crown spacing. Approximately 25 acres have been thinned in developed areas. In the future, these areas may be prescribed burned to further reduce fuels and provide greater fire protection.

Long House survived the Pony Fire with almost no damage, but other archaeological sites suffered in the Pony and Bircher Fires of 2000. WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION
Mesa Verde National Park fire personnel responded to 27 wildland fires in 2000 and 23 in 2001. During peak fire season, Mesa Verde staffs 32 firefighters and overhead. One Type VI wildland engine is available for initial attack, and a Type I engine is available for structure protection. The park also has an 1800-gallon water tender for support. Much of the park’s initial attack is done by helicopter, which acts as an aerial lookout during routine flights. The helicopter is also used for bucket drops and crew transport as needed. Additional resources are available regionally, such as air tankers, hotshot crews, hand crews, and smokejumpers. Currently, all fires within park boundaries are suppressed; however, Mesa Verde is considering Fire Use as a management tool for natural starts.

PRESCRIBED FIRE PROGRAMS
Far View - November 2001. The primary objectives of the Far View Prescribed Fire Program are to reduce the probability of destructive fires in the vicinity of the Far View developed area by reducing fuel loadings, and to restore the natural role of fire into the mountain brush ecosystem. In 1999, 25 acres were burned in two units. In 2001, 50 acres were burned, with 12 of those being a re-burn from 1999. When severe wildfires encounter areas with reduced fuel loadings, they often become low-intensity ground fires or may even extinguish completely.

Far View Prescribed Fire in progress. Trees burning with sunset in background.

Prescribed burns are monitored continuously to detect changes in weather and fire behavior that may lead to conditions favorable for a fire to escape control. The prescribed fire consumed fuels such as dead grass and brush, and likely thinned many of the oak stands around the Far View developed area. These reductions in fuel leave less available for any wildfires that may occur in this area, and will likely result in lower fire intensities than those exhibited by large wildfires such as the Chapin 5, Bircher, and Pony. A wildfire that enters this area will be much easier to control.

US Department of Interior

Updated 11/9/06