Single Publication

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1
Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 970-648-4470 (public), 970-765-7123 (media)
Email: 2023.lowline@firenet.gov
Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Current Situation: Despite a small acreage increase, the fire remains at its existing perimeter. The small gain in acreage was due to interior burning in the unburned islands near the eastern perimeter of Division A/Z. Today, the bulk of firefighting resources will be on the eastern and northern edges working to increase containment. This afternoon, fire crews will contend with windy conditions again which present additional hazards from fire weakened trees and branches. Patrols with isolated mopping up will occur on contained firelines and firefighters may begin backhauling unneeded equipment such as fire hoses and pumps from the line.

Division A/Z: Newly contained fireline will be monitored with patrol and mop-up occurring throughout the division. 

Division Y: Due to the presence of a large aspen grove with high moisture content, minimal fire activity has been observed even with drier weather conditions. Crews will monitor fire behavior, patrol fire lines, and take additional action where needed. 

Division X: No actions are planned yet as fire managers continue evaluating suppression strategies. 

Division W: Firefighters will continue strengthening lines by reducing snags with an emphasis on the contingency fireline from the Lowline Trail to the wilderness boundary. Patrol and mop up will continue on other sections of line. 

Structure Protection: Structure protection crews are nearing completion of assessments and will provide completed documentation to county officials in the coming days. 

Weather & Fuel Conditions:

Weather conditions will be similar to yesterday with temperatures in the mid-70s, humidity close to 20%, and winds at 5-10 mph with increased wind gusts up to 30 mph. Significant fire behavior is not expected although tree torching may occur with fire activity most prevalent in mixed conifer vegetation and dead and down fuels.    

Evacuations, Closures, and Fire Restrictions:

A pre-evacuation order is in effect for CR 727, Mill Creek, the road is only open to residents. No other evacuations or pre-evacuations are in place near the fire.  For specific evacuation information, see Gunnison County Emergency Management at www.gunnisoncounty.org. You may sign up to receive emergency alerts on your phones or other devices at: https://bit.ly/3QhZVZg .

An area, road, and trail closure has been implemented on National Forest System lands near the fire area. For specifics see this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1126172.pdf . BLM has implemented a temporary closure  in the fire vicinity. For details see this link: www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district . Some County Roads in the fire vicinity are barricaded. In the interest of public safety, fire officials ask visitors to be aware of fire traffic and avoid the area.

There are currently no fire restrictions in Gunnison County. Should restrictions be implemented, they will be posted at this site: https://westslopefireinfo.com/gunnison-county/ .

Daily Smoke Outlook reports can be found at this link: https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/ed63b240 .Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t.  For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Lowline Fire Statistics:
Size: 1814 acres
Containment: 55%
Total Personnel: 361
Location: 14 mi. NNW of Gunnison, CO
Reported: 8:00 am July 26, 2023
Cause: lightning

For More Information:
Information Phone: 970-648-4470 (public), 970-765-7123 (media)
Email: 2023.lowline@firenet.gov
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cogmf-lowline-fire
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GMUGFireInfo