Mesa Verde National Park reported Friday afternoon that a lightning strike caused a small fire east of the Cedar Tree Tower archaeological site.
Mesa Verde’s Park Point Lookout tower spotted the fire on Tuesday, June 28 about 3:49 p.m., park spokeswoman Cristy Brown said in a news statement.
The fire, named the Painted Kiva Fire, is about a tenth of an acre and is less than half a mile from Cedar Tree Tower on Park Mesa, said Mesa Verde Assistant Fire Management Officer Keith Krause.
The fire is in an area of vegetation, steep access routes and lack of safety zones for firefighters, Brown said, and the Mesa Verde Fire Management Office is using an “indirect attack” suppression strategy. There is a low threat to visitors, park infrastructure and archaeological resources, Brown said, and all park facilities and trails remain open.
Should this fire become more visible, park staff will place informational signs on the park roads, Brown said. Krause said fire officers thought earlier in the week the fire might spread, but he speculated that rain on Friday would suppress it and possibly extinguish it.
The park plans to provide updated information at park facilities, and on the park’s website and Facebook pages.
