On July 29, a smoldering spark from a lightning strike a few days earlier developed into the Long Mesa Fire and began moving towards the heart of Mesa Verde National Park. Since 1996, Mesa Verde has been tested by three large fires that burned about half of the park, but the Chapin Mesa Headquarters and staff residences had never before faced direct flames.
Over 70 structures were in the path of the fire, but years of hard work, extensive planning, and excellent firefighting came together to save the structures.
The park structures are on fingers of Chapin Mesa extending out to the west towards Spruce Canyon. From north to south, the major areas are:
- The water tank
- The Fire Management Office, Research Facility and historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) buildings
- The housing area and maintenance facilities
- The main visitor area, museum, and Park Headquarters
Each of these areas had been thinned during the previous 10 years and enhanced during 2002 due to the extreme fire danger present in the park. Spacing of trees was reduced from a continuous canopy to at least 20 feet between mature trees with little or no understory fuels. In most cases, the treatment went out 75-100 yards from the structures.
The park took other steps to complement the defensible space that had been created through fuels reduction. Perhaps the most important was replacing the original wooden shingle roofs of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) buildings with composite fire-resistant shingles.
Sprinklers were also installed throughout the developed area, while hoses and supplies of structural protection foam were placed in strategic locations for quick accessibility.
On the day of the fire, as it headed south, firefighters installed additional sprinklers on rooftops, foamed houses, and set up hose lays throughout the developed areas. The Long Mesa Fire produced an intense shower of flying firebrands, but the combination of new roofs, foam, and sprinklers greatly contributed to successful structural protection.
Another critical element was the evacuation plan developed by Mesa Verde. The plan included visitors, contractors, park employees, and residents. Mock evacuations and refreshers every two weeks were part of the preparations. Before the Long Mesa Fire started moving south, the plan was implemented and all personnel not directly involved in the firefighting effort left Chapin Mesa. This allowed the firefighters to focus on the fire and move freely and safely along the narrow roads.
As the fire came south on Chapin Mesa towards the developed area, the water tank faced the initial onslaught of the fire. The water tank was left undefended so firefighters could concentrate on the Fire Management Office and research area. Though the area was thinned, embers ignited the wooden support beams, which led to a collapsed roof and contamination of the park’s water supply.
Two structures were consumed. The radiant heat did not start other fires in nearby houses because of the preventive measures taken and the actions of the firefighters. As the west flank of the fire moved off Chapin Mesa, the east flank still posed a threat to the Headquarters area and Spruce Tree House, a major cliff dwelling. Fuel breaks along the main road and a safety zone put in place before the fire provided protection. Retardant drops boosted the protection around the Headquarters’ buildings and Spruce Tree House.
Without the fuels reduction effort and effective preparation by Mesa Verde personnel, many invaluable archaeological sites could have been damaged or destroyed.
Contatct: David Eaker, Fire Education, Prevention, and Information Specialist
Phone: (435) 772-7811 |
