State and local officials have announced the completion of the Marshall Mesa Coal Fire Mitigation Project, a joint effort aimed at extinguishing a coal seam fire that had been burning underground for over a century in Boulder, Colorado.
The project was led by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS), which began work in October 2024. The team excavated smoldering coal located about thirty feet below ground, blending it with cold soil and rock to cool it before returning it to the excavation site. Unburned coal was also removed and treated to reduce the risk of future fires.
With this phase now finished, DRMS has handed responsibility for further area improvements to the City of Boulder. Over the next eight months, city staff will focus on enhancing trailhead facilities in the region.
“The Marshall Mesa Coal Fire Mitigation Project is a collaborative effort to strengthen community resilience and reduce wildfire risk. This project exemplifies the power of partnerships in safeguarding our lands, homes, and future generations,” said Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02).
After addressing subsurface risks, workers graded the northern and southern parts of the site to match natural terrain and planted native vegetation.
“We appreciate the partnership and collaboration with the City of Boulder and the surrounding community to address the issues around the Marshall coal fire mitigation project. With their partnership and working closely with our contractors we were able to excavate problematic areas in the old coal mine and the coal seam to minimize the risk of future ignition,” said Jeff Graves, Director, Inactive Mine Reclamation Program, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. “We will continue to monitor the site for as long as necessary in cooperation with the City as they move forward returning the area to public use through the Marshall Mesa trailhead project.”
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks department will now lead construction on a new Marshall Mesa Trailhead that connects with its extensive open space network. This network includes 46,000 acres of land, 37 trailheads, and 161 miles of trails.
“The City of Boulder extends our appreciation to the state and Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety staff for the partnership and coordination to conduct this important coal mine mitigation project,” said Dan Burke, director of City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. “Now that their hard work is complete, we look forward to creating a whole new Marshall Mesa Trailhead experience to help visitors enjoy Boulder’s remarkable open space.”
Planned upgrades at Marshall Mesa Trailhead include new amenities such as restrooms, shade shelters, more bike racks, picnic tables, benches, improved parking areas for better accessibility, enhanced vehicle access for shuttles, direct connections to RTD Park-n-Ride crosswalks for better transportation links with nearby parking options, updated educational signage at trailheads, an accessible trail designed for visitors with disabilities, as well as rerouted trails for improved traffic flow.
During these improvements most trails will remain open but access via Marshall Mesa Trailhead itself will be closed until work is completed.
In addition to these changes, Mountain View Fire Rescue plans to install a new 20,000-gallon cistern at Marshall Mesa. This upgrade replaces an outdated concrete tank that had been leaking.
“Having this asset in such a high traffic location will allow our crews to have water on hand for a quick response in the event of a fire starting near the trailhead, with the goal of limiting spread quickly,” said Rick Tillery, public information officer for Mountain View Fire Rescue.
