BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON – Firefighters finally began to gain ground Friday on the South Rim Fire burning in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, though a timeline for reopening the park remains just as hazy as the thick smoke that has blanketed the region for much of the last week.
Aided by cloud coverage and cooler temperatures, firefighters have the 4,227-acre fire 14% contained. That means fire crews have built a fireline around the perimeter where they are confident flames will not cross the barrier.
But officials expect the fire will continue to burn in extremely dry fuels and rough terrain, to continue for weeks. Officials currently are targeting Aug. 10 for full containment, according to Inciweb, an interagency website that tracks wildfires. There is no estimate for when the park will reopen.
Since it started on July 10, flames have scorched 12% of the park’s footprint including 85% of the park’s South Rim, containing the majority of campsites, trails and overlooks, which are now mostly skeletons of picnic benches, charred pathways and knots of blackened trees.
Complexities, damages and cost
A week of battling the fire with a complex incident management team of more than 450 personnel has already cost $6.2 million, according to Black Canyon National Park Superintendent Stuart West.
The final bill for suppression will be divided amongst the three jurisdictions involved: the National Parks Service, the BLM and Montrose County, according to Deputy Incident Commander Jay Miller.
Miller said his firefighters can’t safely drop into the canyon, so instead remain around the rim digging firelines, removing fuel and initiating burns which direct the fire to areas where it can be suppressed.
Firefighters succeeded in containing the fire around the southwestern edge of the fire, near damage to the South Rim.
Of roughly 88 campsites at the South Rim Campground, only a group of sites on Loop A survived, according to West. Other infrastructure, including a large observation deck, seven toilets and a warehouse holding heavy equipment were also destroyed.
Firefighters managed to save two huge assets: a building with administrative offices and employee housing and the park visitor center. But most of what remains standing is covered in thick, pink fire retardant. West said park officials have yet to tally the cost of damages to park facilities and equipment.
Jon Kaminsky, Bureau of Land Management lead on the fire, said the fire has burned roughly 325 acres of BLM land including grazing permit areas — but those allotments are currently vacant.
Montrose County Emergency Manager Scott Hawkins said the county relies on roughly $32 million generated annually by park visitorship, meaning the community is bracing for the economic impact of the indefinite closure.
What’s next
West also oversees the Curecanti National Recreation Area and has deployed some Black Canyon National Park employees to the neighboring site for the time being.
When the time comes, West said he anticipates the park will reopen in phases.
Kaminsky said a burned area response team is visiting the park as early as Monday to create a restoration program and prepare for fire aftereffects, such as the possibility of sediment and debris flows contaminating the Gunnison River.
“(There’s) a lot of work to be done after this fire is put out and contained,” Hawkins said.
Lia Salvatierra is a journalist with Report for America, a service program that helps boost underserved areas with more reporting resources. You can boost our ability to keep publishing stories like this and make a tax-deductible contribution toward her salary here.
