Bandelier National Monument, a park preserving the history of Pueblo people and showcasing some of New Mexico's breathtaking scenery has suffered a huge blow. The fire that threatened Los Alamos National Laboratory turned and has burned over half of the park's 33,000 acres.The Las Conchas Fire roared through the monument, incinerating 11,000 acres of the canyon's 12,000-acre watershed. More than 4,000 acres were so severely burned that no vegetation remains. One of the toughest hit areas was the monuments most visited spots: Frijoles Canyon. The canyon receives approximately 95 percent of the monument's visitation and is home to the Monument's only visitor center, the largest concentration of prehistoric cultural sites, the historic Civilian Conservation Corps district, offices, several popular hiking trails, and employee residences.
While the visitor center was left untouched by the fire, efforts are underway to prepare it and other structures in Frijoles Canyon to withstand potential flooding. Artifacts and exhibits have been removed from the visitor center and relocated to secure storage areas. Sandbags and diversion dikes have been strategically placed to seal the visitor center and divert water away from facilities and historic sites in the canyon. Work to reinforce these efforts is expected to continue for the next several days.
The monument is closed at this point, and will remain so until officials can determine how to reopen the monument in a safe manner.
photo: Bandelier National Monument on flickr.com
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