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Fire Operations

Summer is a busy time for fire fighters due to dry weather conditions and storms that contain lightening with little rain.

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Dinosaur Fire Operations are based around two Type 6 Wildland Fire Engines. The engine type is based on the size of truck and capacity of the water tank it carries. To assist in spotting wildfires, the Monument also has two seasonal fire lookouts; one located on Roundtop Mountain at an elevation of 8,575 feet and the other located at Zenobia Peak at 9,000 feet elevation.

The Fire Program staffs each engine with three to four crewmembers. During times of high fire danger or activity, the Fire Management Office can request more fire resources from other parts of the country. Dinosaur Fire Management also sends firefighters to other parts of the country when ordered and available.

In addition to responding to wildfire, the staff work on fuels reduction projects and prescribed fire. These projects include manually reducing vegetation from around park structures and campfire sites. When needed, they also conduct prescribed burns to maintain a natural, healthy ecosystem.

Both Fire Lookouts have a long history of fire-watching at Dinosaur National Monument. The National Historic Lookout Register, maintained by the American Resources Group of Washington D.C., honored Roundtop Lookout for 50-plus years of seasonal fire watch in a ceremony on June 2, 2010.