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BAER Archaeologists assess historic cultural resources for Goat and Snag wildfires

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Archaeologists Nathan Gabriel and Sarah Herrera recently evaluated cultural resources within burn areas of the Snag Fire for the Boise National Forest BAER assessment team.

As they were surveying heritage cultural resources located near Stoney Meadows within the Snag Fire and includes a historic warming hut, fire crews at nearby Stolle Meadows were busy prepping multiple structures in anticipation of the Goat Fire burning through the area. Fire managers were concerned that current fire behavior could burn the historic structures located at Stolle Meadows.

With BAER archaeologists Gabriel and Herrera assessing BAER cultural resources within the Snag Fire perimeter, the threatening fire situation from the nearby Goat Fire made it even more important to assess for post-fire threats--and they were there “before” the Goat Fire could potentially hit the Stolle Meadows area.

Fire suppression wrapping of the historic structures and the placement of water sprinklers provided protection to Stolle Meadows for the possibility that the Goat Fire burns through the area. When historic structures survive burning from wildfires, and BAER specialists assess burn areas for post-fire threats from future rain events such as flooding and debris flows, preemptive suppression work can protect cultural resources so that they are not destroyed and can be later be evaluated. 

Because BAER teams assess post-fire conditions, these BAER specialists anticipate these cultural resources will survive burning thanks to pre-planning and firefighter efforts, with the hope that fire is not too severe so that future recreationists can enjoy these beautiful meadows and both historic sites during their future visits to the Boise National Forest.

NOTE: See related photos to this article under the “Photos” Tab on this Boise NF Post-Fire BAER InciWeb page: Idbof Boise Nf Postfire Baer 2024 Information | InciWeb (wildfire.gov). Also see “Related Information” PDF article document containing related article photos below.

BAER SAFETY MESSAGE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains and increased water runoff. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events—be prepared to act. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service: www.weather.gov/boi/.

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