Eight firefighters worked Sunday to contain a small fire in Mesa Verde National Park, the Durango Interagency Dispatch Center said.
Dubbed the Mancos Canyon Fire, the fire was burning on less than an acre midslope on the East Rim of Mancos Canyon, west of County Road 38, said Mike Lewelling.
A helicopter made water drops on the fire, and eight firefighters battled the fire on the ground, Lewelling said.
Four firefighters were from The Broadmoor Fire Department in Colorado Springs who had been involved in fighting the Moccasin Mesa Fire last week, and four were from the park. All hiked to the fire from County Road 38, he said.
The fire, attributed to a lightning strike, was 80 percent contained by Sunday afternoon.
Flames were first reported by nearby residents on Sunday morning and confirmed by helicopter after a second flyover.
Several lightning strikes were reported in the East Rim area in the previous 48 hours, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The East Rim is on the eastern side of Mesa Verde National Park, less than 4 miles northeast of the Moccasin Mesa Fire site.
The Moccasin Mesa Fire, attributed to a lightning strike on Aug. 4, was contained Aug. 9.
It scorched 185 acres in steep terrain and on the mesa top at the park’s southeast border.
