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  • wildfire Wildfire
  • prescribed fire Prescribed Fire
  • burned area emergency response Burned Area Response
  • other type Other

Little Mesa Fire

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Unit Information

Uncompahgre Field Office 
Colorado 
Montrose, 
Colorado 
81401 
Uncompahgre Field Office 
Colorado 
Montrose, 
Colorado 
81401 

Incident Contacts

  • Little Mesa Information
    Email:
    2023.littlemesa@firenet.gov
    Phone:
    970-787-2993
    Hours:
    8 am - 5 pm

Photographs Gallery

Road as fireline on Little Mesa Fire
The image shows a two track road with mature pinion and juniper trees on the right and younger trees surrounded by cured grass on the left. The forest on the right has been burned by firefighters. There are still large mature trees but smaller trees, leaf litter and grasses have been removed and the ground is black.
The image shows a two track road with mature pinion and juniper trees on the right and younger trees surrounded by cured grass on the left. The forest on the right has been burned by firefighters. There are still large mature trees but smaller trees, leaf litter and grasses have been removed and the ground is black.
Road as fireline on Little Mesa Fire

Example of using road as fireline. Roads already are cleared to bare mineral soil, so they will not support fire growth. Firefighters often improve roads as fireline by cutting lower limbs off trees or cutting entire trees away from the road, or by firing off of the road to expand the area where there are no fuels for the fire to consume.

Little Mesa Fire late afternoon on August 14
Image of burned pinyon pine trees with smoldering vegetation below and smoke rising.
Image of burned pinyon pine trees with smoldering vegetation below and smoke rising.
Little Mesa Fire late afternoon on August 14

Photo shows burned pinyon pine trees with a mosaic burn pattern late afternoon on the Little Mesa Fire, August 14, 2023.

Photo Credit:  Brandon Lewis

Skyway WFM Firefighters dig hand line on Little Mesa Fire
Four firefighters wearing yellow shirts, green pants, white hard hats and black wildland fire packs use tools to dig a trench around a blackened tree and leaf litter and duff.
Four firefighters wearing yellow shirts, green pants, white hard hats and black wildland fire packs use tools to dig a trench around a blackened tree and leaf litter and duff.
Skyway WFM Firefighters dig hand line on Little Mesa Fire

Skyway WFM Firefighters dig hand line around a smoldering tree near the fire perimeter on the Little Mesa Fire.

Mosaic Burn Pattern on Little Mesa Fire
This image shows a sage flat with one large pinion pine tree standing in the center left, surrounded by piles of sticks and logs burning with thick black smoke billowing into the air.
This image shows a sage flat with one large pinion pine tree standing in the center left, surrounded by piles of sticks and logs burning with thick black smoke billowing into the air.
Mosaic Burn Pattern on Little Mesa Fire

Photo shows a mosaic burn pattern. Many live trees and sage flats remain in tact while dead and down fuel has been removed. August 14, 2023
Photo Credit: Ian Muirhead

Little Mesa Fire on August 14, 2023
Image of a dead and down tree burning with flames in a sagebrush and pinyon pine, juniper forest.
Image of a dead and down tree burning with flames in a sagebrush and pinyon pine, juniper forest.
Little Mesa Fire on August 14, 2023
The Little Mesa Fire was first detected on July 31st, 2023
This is a photo of the Little Mesa Fire on the day it was first detected, which presents as a wisp of smoke in pinion/juniper forest on the slope of Little Canyon.
This is a photo of the Little Mesa Fire on the day it was first detected, which presents as a wisp of smoke in pinion/juniper forest on the slope of Little Canyon.
The Little Mesa Fire was first detected on July 31st, 2023

The Little Mesa Fire was first detected on July 31st, 2023

Firefighter cutting brush on the edge of the fire.
Image of firefighter cutting brush on the edge of the fire line to prevent further fire spread.
Image of firefighter cutting brush on the edge of the fire line to prevent further fire spread.
Firefighter cutting brush on the edge of the fire.

Firefighter cutting brush on the edge of the fire line to prevent further fire spread.

Firefighters hiking across a burned area
Image of two firefighters with chainsaw equipment hiking across a burned area on the Little Mesa Fire.
Image of two firefighters with chainsaw equipment hiking across a burned area on the Little Mesa Fire.
Firefighters hiking across a burned area
Beautiful sunset at the Little Mesa Fire spike camp
Image of beautiful sunset with orange and blue at the Little Mesa Fire spike camp with orange tents and fire vehicles
Image of beautiful sunset with orange and blue at the Little Mesa Fire spike camp with orange tents and fire vehicles
Beautiful sunset at the Little Mesa Fire spike camp

Beautiful sunset at the Little Mesa Fire spike camp

Photo credit:  Z Harris

After the Little Mesa fire burned up the dead and down woody material
Image of area after the Little Mesa fire burned up the dead and down woody material leaving behind islands of green vegetation. Low to moderate intensity fires like the Little Mesa fire help to break down dead and down material that will put nutrients back into the soil for future regeneration of native plants.
Image of area after the Little Mesa fire burned up the dead and down woody material leaving behind islands of green vegetation. Low to moderate intensity fires like the Little Mesa fire help to break down dead and down material that will put nutrients back into the soil for future regeneration of native plants.
After the Little Mesa fire burned up the dead and down woody material

Area after the Little Mesa fire burned up the dead and down woody material leaving behind islands of green vegetation.

Low to moderate intensity fires like the Little Mesa fire help to break down dead and down material that will put nutrients back into the soil for future regeneration of native plants. 

Photo credit:  Justin Reece

Vegetation in the area prior to Little Mesa Fire
Image of the thick dead and down woody material with sagebrush and pinyon juniper trees prior to the Little Mesa Fire burning.
Image of the thick dead and down woody material with sagebrush and pinyon juniper trees prior to the Little Mesa Fire burning.
Vegetation in the area prior to Little Mesa Fire

Thick dead and down woody material with sagebrush and pinyon juniper trees prior to the Little Mesa Fire burning in the area.

Photo credit:  Justin Reece

Little Mesa Fire Daily Operations Briefing
Image of firefighters getting ready for their morning operations briefing on the Little Mesa Fire off a red dirt road with sagebrush. The briefing map it placed on a vehicle for firefighters to view as they hear previous days accomplishments and their assignments for the day.
Image of firefighters getting ready for their morning operations briefing on the Little Mesa Fire off a red dirt road with sagebrush. The briefing map it placed on a vehicle for firefighters to view as they hear previous days accomplishments and their assignments for the day.
Little Mesa Fire Daily Operations Briefing

Firefighters getting ready for their morning operations briefing on the Little Mesa Fire. The briefing map it placed on a vehicle for firefighters to view as they hear previous days accomplishments and their assignments for the day.

Photo Credit: Z Harris

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