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The incident management team is constantly evaluating plans on the fire, weighing risks to responders and probability of success. Aerial resources are supporting crews to locate areas of heat on the fire and evaluating suppression options. Today’s weather is forecast to be the driest and hottest of the past week. Fire managers will evaluate strategic firefighting tactics and plan the next phase in safely fighting this fire.

Firefighters are working to build strategic lines (direct and indirect) to protect values at risk including Beulah and the Middle Creek Watershed. Much of the work that crews are currently working on includes brush chipping and hose lays along roads or trails that firefighters have prepped. These roads and trails are being prepped as secondary firelines. If utilized, these secondary firelines will serve as defensible barriers to anchor if strategic firing operations are utilized. These lines can also serve as protection in the event of future fires.

In Branch I yesterday, crews began chipping operations on the northern secondary line in Div. A and also worked a bulldozer south of that line towards the fire. Additional containment is shown on today’s map in Div. A, Chipping work also began in Div. D on the line between North Fork south towards Beulah where firefighters had prepped the road. In Div. K, a hose lay was placed from the southern portion of the containment line down towards Soldier Park.

Work in Branch II included installing hose lay in Div. M working east toward Potato Mountain. In Div. U, dozer work continued pushing down toward Silver Creek Trail. Field observers in Div. W (near the 2016 Junkins Fire) worked on mapping missions. Hotshot crews also worked deeper into the fire perimeter, extinguishing heat and strengthening the fireline.

Structure crews finished work yesterday in the Fairview area. Contingency work continued in the Pueblo Mountain Park area, working south out of the park towards Highway 78 and north towards Squirrel Creek.

Weather & Smoke Information: Winds will shift today from the northwest to the southeast and peak in the late afternoon with gusts up to 25 mph. Relative humidity levels will be 20-28% and temperatures will reach 84.

The U.S. Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program is now producing a daily smoke outlook report specific to south central Colorado and the Oak Ridge Fire. Visit https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/d9fa3c77.

Closures: The San Carlos Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests issued an area, trail and road closure effective June 26, 2024. Go to www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/psicc/alerts-notices for the entire order.

Evacuations: The areas in Pueblo County that are on pre-evacuation status include Middle Creek Canyon Road, Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beulah Highlands Road. For all evacuation information, visit: www.puebloemergency.info.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: There is a 24-hour a day Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area. The TFR includes restrictions against private drones. Remember, If you FLY, we CAN’T. Air incursions will impede firefighting efforts and ground our aircraft.