Wildfire Closes Famed Mesa Verde Park
Date: 18-Jul-03
Country: USA
About 1,000 acres have burned in and around the park in the southwest corner of Colorado, forcing hundreds of visitors to evacuate.
"The good news is that no significant infrastructure is threatened and no significant cultural sites are threatened in the park," fire information officer Larry Helmerick said.
The Rocky Mountain region has been suffering from a serious drought for several years, increasing the normal summer fire danger.
Helmerick said of the six fires started on Tuesday evening, one has been put out and three have been contained.
The Balcony Fire, so named because it was near the Balcony House built on a high ledge with 45 rooms, has been contained, Helmerick said.
A visit to the park was to be the highlight of a three-week tour of the United States by a couple from Belgium, Carl Muylermans and his wife Monique Mathez. "It is certainly disappointing. I've always dreamed of coming here," Mathez said. The 52,000-acre park has about 650,000 visitors a year.
Mesa Verde became a National Park nearly 100 years ago and with its nearly 3,900 sites has become a popular tourist destination.
In 2000, nearly 20,000 acres burned in the park, making it the most destructive year in the park's history.