Recent Fires
Several serious forest fires have plagued the monument in the latter part of the 20th century, including in the Cerro Grande Fire of 2000 and the Las Conchas Fire of 2011. The Cerro Grande Fire originated as a controlled burn for fire control but spread out of control owing to high winds, eventually burning over 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) of forest and destroying 250 homes in Los Alamos. Controlled burns were re-conducted in 2006.
The 156,000-acre (63,000 ha) Las Conchas Fire began on June 26, 2011 just west of the park. At the time it was largest wildfire in New Mexico's history and burned over sixty percent of monument land. The fire burned along Frijoles canyon but was stopped before Alcove house and the visitors center. Deforestation of upper canyons and soil vitrification lead to massive flash flood events. The fire and flooding had a devastating impact on area's habitat and cultural resources.
Read more about this topic: Bandelier National Monument
Famous quotes containing the word fires:
“Every year without knowing it I have passed the day
When the last fires will wave to me”
—William Stanley Merwin (b. 1927)
“When the villagers were lighting their fires beyond the horizon, I too gave notice to the various wild inhabitants of Walden vale, by a smoky streamer from my chimney, that I was awake.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)