On August 24, 2000 events transpired that would change the face of the landscape for years to come. A local woman pulled off the highway onto a forest service road that leads to Jasper Cave. She lit a cigarette, dropped the burning match to the ground, watched the fire start and drove away. The fire spread rapidly due to the hot and dry conditions. It was reported to law enforcement officials at 2:17 PM. The fire was roaring over the top of Hell Canyon by 4:30 PM. It was beautiful, amazing and terrifying all at the same time.
Jewel Cave was evacuated around 4:30 that day. A few Rangers stayed all night to keep watch. Important documents, maps, and computers were taken into the cave for safe keeping. Firefightering efforts saved the structures on the monument. The ground was pink with fire retardant. Our newly restored Historical Cabin was foamed several times to save it from the fire. All staff was evacuated before Friday was over because the Jasper Fire was too dangerous to stay any longer.
Saturday the fire exploded; it consumed approximately 48,000 acres. That is the equivalent of about seven football fields a minute.
Saturday August 26, 2000 Fire cloud 24 miles away
Fire Photos
Fire Facts
The area burned at Jewel Cave was 1279 acres. Below is a day to day summary of events.
August 24, 2000- Fire started at 2:17 PM. Jewel Cave was evacuated around 4:30pm. Highway 16 was closed before nightfall. Jasper Fire 1,000 acres, 0% containment, no estimated containment date. Fire behavior includes crowning spotting and running in rough, broken canyons. The fire has spread quickly and containment efforts are being deterred despite the use of air tankers, bucket drops and engine operations.
August 25, 2000- Jasper Fire 1,800 acres, 5% containment, no estimated containment date. Fire spread is quickly overwhelming containment efforts. Current threats are to homes and to the park, additional precautionary evacuations have been put into effect because of threats to residences and to the park.
August 26, 2000- Jasper Fire 60,600 acres, 5% containment, no estimated containment date. Over 90% of the park has burned, but all structures have been protected, including those in the headquarters area and a historic log cabin. On three occasions, engine crews had to foam the building, which has a shake shingle roof, then had to leave to deal with other threats. The fire no longer other threatens any park buildings. The prescribed fires and thinning projects conducted around the headquarters area buildings in 1996 and 1999 contributed greatly to the protection of those structures. This was an instance in which the resource being protected - the cave - proved to be an additional asset. Some of the park's valuable and historic items were placed inside the cave, to protect them while the fire was burning in the area.
August 28, 2000- Jasper Fire 64,900 acres, 5% containment, no estimated containment date. The fire continues to spread north and west. Substantial progress is being made south of Highway 16, but the highway remains closed. Direct fireline construction with dozers is progressing on the east and west flanks. Evacuations are still in effect around the fire.
August 29, 2000- Jasper Fire 70,150 acres, 10% containment, no estimated containment date. Unfavorable weather continue to hamper containment efforts, though crews are making good progress on the east and west flanks. Highway 16 remains closed and evacuations around the fire remain in effect. The park remains closed.
August 31, 2000- Jasper Fire 82,600 acres, 40% containment, no estimated containment date. The fire continues to spread to the north and northwest. Cooler weather has helped the firefighting effort. There is still no power at the park.
September 1, 2000- Jasper Fire 82,600 acres, 70% containment, no estimated containment date. Highway 16 has been reopened and evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes. The park remains closed.
September 2, 2000- Jasper Fire 82,600 acres, 80% containment, full containment expected by September 4th. Control lines have completed around the fire. Mop-up is progressing. The Jewel Cave Visitor Center was open again.
September 3, 2000- Jasper Fire 83,500 acres, 80% containment, full containment expected by September 4th.
September 7, 2000- Jasper Fire 83,500 acres, 95% containment, full containment expected by September 8th. Crews are completing mop-up operations and conducting inventory for rehabilitation planning.
Size: 83,508 acres
Start date and time: August 24, 2000, 2:17 pm
Date and time contained: September 8, 2000, 6:00 pm
Suppression costs to date: $8,200,000
Cause: Arson. Janice Stevenson was sentenced July 23, 2001 to 10 years in a federal prison. She was also sentenced to 25 years on the state charges.
Location: Southwest Black Hills, South Dakota- Between Newcastle, Wyoming, and Custer, South Dakota. Includes such landmarks as Jewel Cave National Monument, Hell Canyon, Tepee Canyon, Antelope Ridge, Gillette Canyon, Signal Hill, and Dumbuk Ridge.
Suppression Facts
Injuries: None
Most personnel committed at any one time: 1,160 personnel on August 31
Miles of dozer line constructed: Approximately 120
Losses
Structures lost: One summer cabin, three outbuildings
Structures threatened: More than 100
Livestock lost: One cow
Timber lost: Preliminary estimates indicate that the fire killed trees containing a total of approximately 224 million board feet of timber. One board foot equals a piece of wood 12 inches square by l inch thick. Four active timber sales were affected by the fire.
Wildlife lost: Most of the area's wildlife escaped the fire physically unharmed. Fire crews saw large mammals such as deer and elk moving out of the fire area. Some animals were killed by the fire, while others have been seen that seem to show evidence of physical stress from the heat and smoke. Small non-burrowing mammals such as skunks, rabbits, and porcupines probably suffered the greatest losses. Animals known to have perished include: several deer, one radio-collared mountain lion, and one elk.
Last Updated November 9, 2003
Web Author Belinda Fox
e-mail merrith_baughman@nps.gov