Chessman Canyon Fire Provided Resource Benefit at Cedar Breaks National Monument

Smoke coming off of the Chessman Canyon Fire

Firefighters managed the Chessman Canyon Fire at Cedar Breaks National Monument with safety, effectiveness, and ecological benefits in mind. The lightning-caused fire was discovered on September 3, 2019. The fire was located in designated wilderness, in a remote location, surrounded on three sides by the rock formations for which the monument is famous. The fire posed no threat to the public or structures.

Firefighters monitored the fire along the monument rim while allowing the fire to progress naturally where it benefited the landscape. Firefighters were prepared to use a full range of tactics to delay, direct, or minimize the spread of fire in one or more areas to protect firefighter/public safety, and protect sensitive natural or cultural resources, if necessary.

Fire managers assessed risk, predicted fire behavior and growth, and determined where to limit the fire’s spread within a predetermined area of the bottom of the natural amphitheater where it could be safely utilized and confined by natural barriers. As the fire approached the boundary of the predetermined area established by fire managers, a helicopter conducted bucket drops with water, limiting the spread of fire on the southwest portion of the perimeter. The final size of the fire was 437 acres. Resources assigned to the Chessman Canyon Fire included three engines, one helicopter, and three Incident Management Team members.

Naturally-ignited wildland fires play an important role in the park’s fire-adapted ecosystems by reducing dead wood accumulations to ash and releasing nutrients that stimulate new plant growth, and helping to regulate insect and disease levels. Fire increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.