State & City Mark Completion of Marshall Mesa Coal Fire Mitigation Project

BOULDER, Colo. – U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and representatives from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the City of Boulder, and Mountain View Fire Rescue marked the completion of the Marshall Mesa Coal Fire Mitigation Project. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the long-term coordination between the state, the city, and Mountain View Fire Rescue to extinguish a coal seam fire that has been smoldering for more than 100 years.

The Marshall Mesa Coal Fire Mitigation Project – led by the state’s Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) – began in October 2024 and involved the excavation of smoldering coal remaining from historic mining in the area thirty feet below ground surface. With the completion of the coal mine mitigation project, DRMS staff handed off continuing area work to the City of Boulder, which will conduct extensive trailhead improvements over the next eight months.

“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).

As part of state coal mine mitigation work, underground coal was thoroughly blended with cold soil and rock and cooled to below 80 F before being placed back into the excavation. Unburned coal found in the project area was excavated and thoroughly blended to eliminate, to the extent possible, the potential for future ignition.

After the mitigation of the subsurface was complete, the northern and southern portions of the site were graded to resemble the surrounding natural topography and revegetated with native plants.

“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.”

With the coal mine mitigation project now complete, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks and contractors will build a new Marshall Mesa Trailhead to connect with city open space, which includes 46,000 acres of open space, 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 city Marshall Mesa trailhead improvements will include:

• New amenities, including a new restroom, new shade shelter and additional bike racks, picnic tables, and benches.
• Upgraded parking to better accommodate vehicles and enhance trailhead accessibility.
• Enhanced vehicle and shuttle access to improve entry, circulation, and visitor flow.
• A direct trail connection to the RTD "Park-n-Ride" crosswalk, linking the Marshall Mesa Trailhead with a nearby parking options.
• Improved trailhead education and interpretive signage.
• A new accessible trail designed to support visitors experiencing disabilities.
• Trail reroutes to support improved vehicle and shuttle access.

The Marshall Mesa Trailhead will remain closed throughout trailhead enhancement work. However, most Marshall Mesa trails remain open. Learn more about Marshall Mesa improvements and information on access to the area, including trail maps.

Another aspect of the project also slated for the project area is the placement of a 20,000-gallon cistern by Mountain View Fire Rescue. This project replaces an antiquated, and leaking, concrete tank with an updated model.

“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.

For additional information on the coal fire mitigation work see this DRMS fact sheet and for b-roll and pictures, please see this DRMS folder here.