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:
“Vanquished, led in irons, consumed by regrets, burnt by more fires than I ever lit.”
—Jean Racine (1639–1699)
“If you feed a man, and wash his clothes, and borne his children, you and that man are married, that man is yours. If you sweep a house, and tend its fires and fill its stoves, and there is love in you all the years you are doing this, then you and that house are married, that house is yours.”
—Truman Capote (20th century)