FIRE AND ARCHAEOLOGY:

A REVIEW OF THE 2004 FIRE SEASON

By: Sharon A. Waechter

Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc.

and

Dan Foster and Linda Sandelin, CDF

Introduction

California's summers are among the hottest in the country.  Every year there are many days over 100 degrees, sometimes several in a row.  These temperatures, combined with heat and wind, dry fuels, and a human or natural source of ignition, can and often do produce large and potentially devastating wildland fires.  While most Californians may know about CDF’s efforts to fight these fires, the general public is probably unaware of the agency’s efforts to protect cultural resources at the same time.  Many CDF firefighters receive training in cultural resources protection work, while CDF’s team of archaeologists have completed Firefighter I Academy so that they, in turn, can work on the firelines.  Every summer CDF archaeologists Rich Jenkins, Linda Sandelin, Gerrit Fenenga, Chuck Whatford, and Steve Grantham travel from one end of the state to the other, called out at a moment’s notice to respond to a request for their services on one of the major wildfires that hit California.   In 2004, these CDF archaeologists were assigned to 22 major fires, from Shasta County in the north to San Diego County in the south, and from Sonoma County on the coast to Amador and Calaveras counties in the Sierran foothills. This article presents information about CDF’s efforts to protect archaeological resources during the 2004 Fire Season.

“At 1830 hours tonight I accepted an assignment on the Geysers Incident … I expect to spend upcoming days at Fire Camp and on the fire lines … I’m at the office now (9 PM) gathering quad sheets … I plan on checking in at Fire Camp early tomorrow morning, attending the morning briefing, introducing myself to the Planning Chief, etc.  Then I’ll head off to [the Northwest Information Center ] to conduct a records search.  I called [the Information Center Coordinator] at home a few minutes ago.  She’s agreed to meet me tomorrow morning … As of earlier today the fire was up to 10,000 acres, less than 10% contained and being driven by a strong north wind … I expect to find that at least 50-100 [archaeological] sites are within the fire area and within its present path…”

E-mail message from Chuck Whatford, CDF Archaeologist

  September 7, 2004

This message gives a sense of the urgency the CDF archaeologists face when they are assigned to a major fire.  They usually have only hours to gather whatever information they can about the archaeological resources in the fire area, arrive at the fire (sometimes traveling hundreds of miles to get there), check in with fire personnel, and hit the ground running.  Their main goal is to find and flag any known cultural sites in the area and assist CDF’s bulldozer operators to go around, rather than through, the sites whenever possible.  If there is time, the archaeologists also try to survey new ground ahead of the fire for any sites that have not already been recorded. 

In some ways their hardest task is that first one—gathering information.  Because CDF covers private lands, they do not have the kind of archaeological database that is available to agencies like the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.  And, because fires have a way of starting up on nights and weekends, the archaeologists often can’t contact the appropriate State Clearinghouse until a day or two later—sometimes after a bulldozer has unknowingly cut a fire line through an archaeological site.  

	CDF personnel Linda Sandelin and Shana Jones prepare GIS information on cultural sites for the Paradise Fire suppression crews.

The 2004 Fire Season

From May through October of 2004, the five CDF field archaeologists worked on major fires in Shasta, Lassen, Sonoma, Napa, Yolo, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Riverside, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Diego counties (see table, below).  Together they put in the equivalent of more than four months’ time, discovered 72 previously unrecorded archaeological sites, and initiated planning efforts to protect many sites from the fire, suppression, and suppression-repair activites. In some cases, they were able to consult with members of the local Native American community on areas to be protected; for instance, the Winnemem Wintu tribe identified six previously unknown sites on the Bear Fire in Shasta County. The archaeologists also worked closely with Plans Section Chiefs, Local Battalion Chiefs, and other fire personnel to protect as many sites as possible. Overall, 2004 was a very successful year: CDF fire crews and archaeologists were able to protect hundreds of sites during the firestorms.  Most of the known sites escaped with little or no damage from fire suppression, though many were burned over by the fires—probably not for the first time in their long histories. 

CDF Archaeologists' 2004 Fire Assignments

The Sheep Ranch Cemetery (Calaveras Complex)

Despite the efforts of CDF to steer clear of known sites whenever possible, impacts to archaeological or historic sites are sometimes unavoidable.  On the afternoon of August 6, the head of the Armstrong Fire began rushing towards the small community of Sheep Ranch, in western Calaveras County.  During the initial attack, fire-suppression crews—including a bulldozer, engines, and hand crews—were instructed to provide a direct attack on the fire.  Fences blocked both sides of the road, but the crew noticed a double gate that might give them closer access to the blaze.  The engine and ‘dozer went through the gate and began blading a fire break several inches deep.  The hand crews followed behind, putting in a hand line to help hold the fire at this location.  The lines held the fire and spared the town.

	As it turned out, the double gate led into an historic cemetery.  Once this was reported, CDF took immediate action to identify the resource and initiate repairs.  Archaeologist Linda Sandelin, who was assigned to the fire, made a detailed assessment of the suppression work and confirmed that, while some minor disturbance had occurred to some of the headstones and associated vegetation, this disturbance was limited to the site surface, and no burials had been exposed.
	Gate into cemetery.

The old cemetery, in continuous use at least since the 1870s, had never been recorded as a cultural resource, though it was shown on maps of the area.  CDF hired local historian and archaeologist Judith Marvin to study the site, consult with neighbors and local tribal members (it was reported that Native American people also were buried at the cemetery), and advise CDF on how to complete repairs. The project included replacing the damaged fence with new cedar posts and patching and re-using the pre-World War II wire.  CDF also smoothed out the ‘dozer and engine tracks by hand, realigned rocks that had been moved from around the graves, and hand-cleared weeds while leaving the ornamental plants intact.
					Fireline cut through historic cemetery.
				Vehicle tracks straddling headstone.

The French Fire, Shasta County

On August 16, CDF archaeologist Rich Jenkins traveled from the Bear Fire in central Shasta County directly to the French Fire, a few miles to the west.  As with all wildfire incidents, his mission was to gather information on known cultural sites and assist the Plans Section to develop strategies for their protection. Jenkins began by flagging known sites that lay within the path of the advancing fire and alerting the firefighters to their presence.  As time allowed, he inspected “sensitive” areas (those where archaeological sites were most likely to occur) ahead of the fire for any unrecorded sites.  Jenkins also developed a plan for the rehabilitation of impacted sites and passed it on to the Fire Suppression Repair team.

	Bunt structure on the French Fire (Photo by Chuck James).			Remains of a bicycle (Photo by Chuck James).

In some ways, the French Fire was a typical assignment for the CDF archaeologist.  Besides carrying out these several tasks, Jenkins also worked with a network of agencies—including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service—as well as private landowners and members of the local Native American community (in this case, the Wintu Tribe).   In other ways, however, the situation was unique.  Within the French Fire perimeter lay the French Gulch Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its contribution to the economic and social history of Shasta County from 1850 to the 1920s.  As with many historic-era sites and districts, French Gulch includes old wooden buildings, which are highly susceptible to fire:  in this case, the Franck Store and residence, Saint Rose’s Catholic Church (which had been burned by arsonists in 2000), an Odd Fellows’ Hall, the Feeny or French Gulch Hotel, and the remains of the 1856 Gartland Cabin, reported to be the oldest building in the District (its exact location is not known).  Of the six buildings listed as part of the National Register property, five survived; only one—the Odd Fellows’ Hall—burned down.

The Melton and Mataguay Fires, Southern California

On a survey of the Melton Fire in Riverside County in July, CDF firefighters, assisted by CDF Archaeologist Gerrit Fenenga, identified several archaeological sites with “pictographs” or rock paintings.  Many of the sites also included bedrock mortars and other features, as well as flaked and ground stone tools and debris, left there hundreds or thousands of years ago by the ancestors of the native people who still live in the area today. Many of these sites were protected from both the fire and suppression efforts. In one case, ancient Luiseño pictographs were protected when Air Attack was able to plan a retardant drop to miss the rock outcrop on which they were painted.  The pictographs hold great cultural significance for the local Native people, who greatly appreciated CDF’s efforts to protect them.

		Air Attack purposely avoided dropping retardant on this significant pictograph site.
						Pictograph boulder (pictograph in red).
				Post-fire site visit.

	Also in July, Rich Jenkins was working the Mataguay Fire near Warner Springs in nearby San Diego County.  This fire, which burned nearly 9,000 acres and destroyed four buildings, resulted from the illegal use of bottle rockets.  Ultimately it cost the taxpayers of California almost $2 million dollars.  Jenkins’s task was to minimize the damage from fire suppression and rehabilitation to known archaeological sites in the burn area.  These included an historic-period adobe and at least 20 prehistoric Native American sites identified by the South Coastal Information Center; Jenkins knew from experience that many other sites probably existed in the area but had never been recorded.  In the course of his inspections, he discovered two prehistoric villages with bedrock mortars and milling slicks, rock art, pottery sherds, and other debris, that had suffered some damage from fire-line construction (one with a hand line, the other by a bulldozer).  Of the 21 previously known sites, only one suffered minor damage from hand-line construction.
						Cupule boulder from site on the Mataguay Fire.
		Pot sherds.

Contract Archaeology

Because CDF has only six staff archaeologists to cover their 31-million-acre area of responsibility, they also contract with archaeologists from state universities, other state agencies, and the private sector to help with the work load.  In addition to Judith Marvin, the historian mentioned earlier, CDF contracted in 2004 with archaeologist Brian Dillon to record the historic Summit and Brunswick mines, both of which were damaged during the French Fire in Shasta County.  Archaeologists from Far Western Anthropological Research Group in Davis, headed by John Berg, traveled to southern California in August and September to record nine of the sites found by CDF archaeologists during the Mataguay and Melton fires.  In some cases the landowner denied access to the sites, or asked the Far Western crew to leave before they had finished recording—another recurring problem for CDF archaeologists and their contractors.

2004 Mataguay and Melton Fires – Sites Recorded by Far Western

	Burned feature from Site CA-RIV-725, Mataguay Fire (Photo by Far Western).

Landowner Issues

With the exception of state forests, fire stations, and other administrative sites totaling less than 100,000 acres, CDF does not own the lands it is responsible to protect. Most of the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands are privately owned. This creates landowner issues which other fire agencies rarely encounter.  Some of the landowners are cooperative and interested in cultural resources; others are not.   This is a continuing problem and is not limited to the 2004 fire season.  For example, in 2001, while recording a site on the Highway 88 Fire near Ione, in Amador County, archaeologists from Far Western discovered a Miwok dance house.  The site, which had been discovered by CDF forester Phyllis Banducci, also contained many boulders and outcrops with mortars, as well as pestles, hammerstones, flaked-stone tools, and other debris (see the full article at the CDF archaeology web site at http://www.indiana.edu/~e472/cdf/). 

This was obviously an important site, both for its scientific values and for its cultural meaning for the local Miwok community.  CDF and Far Western had hoped to investigate the site more thoroughly, as partial mitigation for damage caused during fire suppression. The landowner was not responsive, however, and the work had to be abandoned.  In another case, on the 2002 Pines Fire in San Diego County, John Berg and his crew were denied permission to visit four sites discovered by CDF archaeologists during the fire; for another four sites, the landowners could not be reached to grant access.  Thus eight potentially significant cultural sites could not be documented.
			Site on private land on the Highway 88 fire (Photo by Far Western).

Sites on private land are, for the most part, unavailable for scientific study or for use by the Native people whose ancestors once lived there.  Often it is only during incidents like the Highway 88 Fire or the Pines Fire that archaeologists can visit the sites and record them.  Meanwhile, the sites may be subject to erosion, flooding, road construction, or other kinds of damage.  When a landowner denies access to such sites, it may mean that the values they hold are lost forever. 

Summary and Conclusions

During the 2004 Fire Season, CDF requested—and got—an archaeologist on every major fire.  The CDF archaeologists arrived at fire camp armed with site records, location maps, topographic quadrangles, and all the information they could get their hands on, and they passed it on to the Plans Section, where it could be used to prevent avoidable damage.  It’s often impossible to keep a raging wildfire from burning over prehistoric villages and historic structures without risking lives in the process.  It is also not always possible to avoid sites during emergency-response suppression work.  However, with careful planning, CDF often was able to survey ahead of fireline construction to flag and protect cultural resources. 

	CDF archaeologist Gerrit Fenenga (center right, in yellow) provides information on cultural sites to a crew on the Melton Fire.

On some fires, the CDF staff was assisted by members of the local Native American community—as when volunteers from the Pechanga Tribe’s Cultural Resources Office helped Gerrit Fenenga survey firelines on the Cerrito Fire in Riverside County.  For the 2005 season, CDF has expanded its dispatch to include certain initial-attack and extended-attack fires, as well—for instance, when an archaeological site is encountered, or when a fire is in close proximity to Native American reservation lands.  The CDF program has demonstrated that, by making a few relatively minor adjustments and planning carefully, firefighters and archaeologists working together can save many fragile and irreplaceable pieces of our national heritage. 

		Historic stone wall on the French Fire.
							Fuel break on the French Fire.
			(Photos by Chuck James.)