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Chronology of a fire: Blue Creek
SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1989
9:00am—Due to warm temperatures, little rainfall, dry vegetation, and high visitation, Big Bend’s fire danger rating is EXTREME.
1:53pm—A Chisos Remuda cowboy leading the South Rim trail ride radios in a report of smoke in the Blue Creek drainage.
2:25pm—Park dispatch announces call out for all available rangers to assemble at the fire cache. Fire Management Officer initiates the Fire Management Plan protocols.
3:05pm—Lincoln Zone Interagency Dispatch in Alamogordo, NM, notified of the fire emergency.
3:10pm—Big Bend Incident Command Team assembled and begins to review and analyze situation. Initial attack fire crew assembled and enroute. All camping permits into the high Chisos are suspended.
3:20pm—A 20-person firefighting crew is dispatched from New Mexico.
4:28pm—Air patrol reports that the fire is now racing up Blue Creek Canyon. Estimated size: 200 acres. Smoke plume can be seen 50 miles away.
5:35pm—All trails into the Chisos Mountains are closed. Rangers begin to evacuate 100 backpackers in the High Chisos campsites. Park trail crew mobilizes to assist hauling supplies and equipment up the rugged slopes.
8:29pm—Fire has reached the top of Blue Creek and crosses the Southwest Rim Trail.
SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 1989
1:00am—17 Big Bend firefighters remain on the fire line all night, action plan for the coming day. Major questions and issues concern firefighter safety, forecasted winds, fragile meadow habitat, and the affect of firefighting aircraft on nesting Peregrine falcons.
6:30am—Morning briefing. The Incident Command Team establishes a Medical and Communications plan for the incident.
10:19am—Strong winds cause the fire to make several runs forcing the firefighters to retreat. Estimated fire size: 300 acres.
12:05pm—30 mile per hour winds cause the east front of the fire to make another “run.” The west front is holding.
1:33pm—Air Operations center established.
1:51pm—US Forest Service Incident Command Team arrives. Resources, Logistics, Operations, and Finance units deployed. Public Information Office is established to handle the rush of media inquiries.
3:00pm—Fire branches up a canyon south of Emory Peak and outraces firefighters for about half an hour. Several campsites are lost.
6:00pm—Reinforcements, including 50 firefighters from New Mexico and Arizona arrive on duty. Gusting winds reverse themselves, slowing the fire spread. Command and park officials decide to fight the fire primarily with hand tools and water drops from helicopters to avoid possible long-term damage from heavier equipment.
MONDAY, MARCH 13, 1989
1:00am—Firefighters begin to “backburn” through the night using the South Rim Trail as a fire line.
8:00am—The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is closed. Base camp and field operations moved to the Sotol Vista and Blue Creek Overlooks, and to the Castolon Historic Area.
12:00—Fire investigators determine that the fire was caused by a careless visitor along the Blue Creek Trail.
8:00pm—Fire lines are holding. Officials declare the fire 70% contained but not yet controlled. Some crews begin "mop up” on the “cold” sections.
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1989
8:00am—Firefighting crews continue to construct hand line and to Contain the fire.
10:00am—General Staff meeting. Complete containment of the fire is expected tonight.
12:00—Total personnel on the fire include 200 firefighters, and 50 overhead from the National Park Service, National Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, and the State of New Mexico.
10:00pm—Fire officials declare the Blue Creek Fire controlled.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1989
10:00am—General Staff meeting. Fire medical personnel, safety officer, and the South Camp person depart. Air operations begins to remove supplies from the line camps.
THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1989
8:00am—One 20-person crew remains at the fire scene. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive reopened.
12:00 noon—Review team begins analysis of the Estimated cost of suppression: $200,000. No injuries reported.
The chronology of the fire originally appeared in the January-March 1992 issue of The Big Bend Paisano.
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