State of New Mexico officials honor BLM firefighters for Camp Fire response
Each year, Fort Stanton Live celebrates the history of the former U.S. Army installation in Lincoln County, New Mexico with costumed interpreters, historical presentations and performances. This year, the event also commemorated the latest chapter in the fort’s 170-year history.
State of New Mexico officials gave a big thank you to all the firefighters, including those from the BLM, who fought the Camp Fire from May 25 to June 10 and saved the fort’s main historic buildings from burning.
Oliver Horn, regional manager of the state of New Mexico’s Lincoln and Fort Stanton historic sites, and Michelle Gallagher Roberts, deputy secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, recognized the firefighters on Aug. 23 during the event.
While the state manages the Fort Stanton Historic Site, which includes historic buildings, the BLM manages the surrounding 25,080 acres that make up the Fort Stanton – Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (NCA). Nearly 150 fire personnel fought the fire, which burned 877 acres of state and federal land and damaged five outlying historic structures.
Horn, who lives locally, recounted to a crowd of about 100 people how firefighters responded to the fire and kept it from burning the fort by quickly creating fire lines, calling in aircraft and coordinating the efforts of local, state and federal agencies.
“For me, this was an incredible experience,” said Horn. “I had never seen anything like this before. I first came in when I got a call from Arron [Griewahn, Lincoln County director of emergency services] telling me that structures were burning, and I came in, and to me, I felt like I was in ‘Apocalypse Now.’ Smoke everywhere, planes dropping fire retardant.”
Coming out of the experience, however, Horn said he saw the fire lines and developed a full appreciation for the skill and capabilities of the firefighters. “They were able to channel this fire past the bulk of the fort and save this historic site,” he said.
One of the firefighters that Horn recognized by name was Kelsey Coonie, assistant engine captain for Engine 5463, with the BLM New Mexico Pecos District fire team.
Soon after Griewahn led a team of firefighters to direct the fire away from the fort and towards the former German prisoner of war internment camp, Coonie, who also served as incident commander trainee on the fire, arrived on scene, Horn said.
“[Coonie] took over, and it was under his leadership that the fire crews captured the fire past the fort on the dirt access roads beyond the site,” said Horn. “Thank you, Kelsey.”
Coonie could not make the ceremony, but Matt Thomas, Pecos District assistant fire management officer, and Charles Smith, Engine 5463 captain for the Pecos District, received the certificates of appreciation from Horn and Roberts. Thomas served as operations section chief during the fire.
“We’re really appreciative of everything the fort did, all the support,” said Thomas. “They were great throughout the fire. We appreciate our cooperators: the county, the volunteers, Forest Service, state forestry — everyone who helped out. The fire started on BLM [land], but it was a multi-agency effort to contain the fire and protect the resources.”
Warren Kasper, manager of the Fort Stanton – Snowy River Cave NCA, also praised the firefighters.
“From the initial attack on the fire through the mop-up, it was amazing how people from different agencies and even from different states quickly responded to the call, came here to Fort Stanton, and worked as a well-coordinated team to first contain the fire and [then] extinguish it,” said Kasper.