La Mesa Fire
The La Mesa Fire was a 1977 wildfire on the Pajarito Plateau of New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.
History
The fire was human-caused (likely a spark from a motorcycle) on the afternoon of 16 June 1977, in
Resources deployed to contain the fire included 1370 personnel, 9 bulldozers, 23 ground engines, 5 air tankers and 5 helicopters.[3] One human life was lost when a firefighter suffered a massive heart attack while fleeing the first major blowup of the La Mesa Fire. A monument near the entrance to Bandelier National Monument honors his memory. [3] A group of 27 high-school students were rescued after becoming trapped in the backcountry of Bandelier National Monument.[citation needed]
The La Mesa fire burned around 60% of the
Other Pajarito Plateau wildfires
La Mesa Fire is one of several major wildfires in the recent history of the Pajarito Plateau:
- 1954 Water Canyon Fire
- 1977 La Mesa Fire
- 1996 Dome Fire
- 1998 Oso Complex Fire
- 2000 Cerro Grande Fire
- 2011 Las Conchas Fire
See also
References
- OCLC 10804398.
- ^ "Wildland Fire: History Timeline | U.S. National Park Service". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ OCLC 10804398.