In Santa Barbara, California, USA State Park officials have had to act swiftly in order to save precious ancient cave paintings from a fire that looked like it was going to destroy them! The intricate cave paintings created by Chumash Native Americans are thought to date from between 500 to 1000 years ago.

The cave paintings are the main attraction of The Chumash Painted Cave StateHistoric Park, and are one of the few remaining places in America that allow the general public to view rock art - although the renderings are extremely delicate and therefore the park prohibits flash photography – and of course the site is currently operating under social distancing guidelines.

Quick response from park officials resulted in the rocks being covered with special heat resistant tarps. The fast moving fire was first reported on the Monday and had spread to over 4000 acres in less than 24 hours, resulting in evacuations, road closures and air quality warnings.

The caves have been subject to several other fires in the past with a similar outbreak in 1990 which also left over 4000 acres scorched and charred. Let’s be grateful for fast acting park officials whose actions saved these precious artworks to be enjoyed, hopefully for hundreds more years, and aeons of future generations. If you’re in need of a fire resistant tarp yourself take a look at our superb Flexi TarpExpert.