Single Publication

Bear Creek Fire

August 16, 2023

Bear Creek Fire start date: August 1, 2023

Mosca Fire start date: August 7, 2023

Location:  23 miles Northwest of Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Cause:  Lightning

Incident Commander: Jay Kurth

Management Team: NIMO Team 1

Management:  Suppression

Fire size today:  Bear Creek: 408 acres   Mosca: 7 acres

Containment:   Bear Creek: 0%   Mosca: 42%

Personnel:  Bear Creek: 86    Mosca: 27

Evacuation Information: 

Weminuche Valley is under pre-evacuation notice. Local residents should follow incident information and updates.

Closures:

• Fire area closure
• Cloman Park in Pagosa Springs

Latest Smoke Outlook:

outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/933fc4e4 

INCIDENT OBJECTIVES:

• Firefighter and Public safety are the highest priority.
• Protect private lands within the Weminuche Creek drainages, natural resources, cultural and historic sites, recreation assets and critical infrastructure including powerlines and gas utility lines.

A Multi-Mission Aircraft flight to obtain updated acreage for the Bear Creek and Mosca wildfires was not available today so there is no reported change in acreage. 

Bear Creek Wildfire: Firefighters have been unable to directly engage the fire due to the steep remote terrain and heavy fuel loading of dead standing and down trees. The potential for spread remains in Bear Creek towards the Little Sand and Shaw Creek trails.  There was one new start, which was basically a single tree that was struck by lightning. Very little smoke will be seen from the fire today.

Mosca Wildfire: This wildfire is burning slowly in a remote area northwest of Bear Creek near Slide Mountain in steep terrain. There has been little active heat or movement on this fire.

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Pike hotshots completed 42% of the handline around the Mosca wildfire.
• Fire managers continued to use two masticators on the Mosca Road to the south of the fire to reduce fuels and to create a contingency line.
• Crews in the Weminuche Valley area assessed risk level to private land/structures and developed and implemented structure protection plans.
• Ground- truthing showed that utilizing the Weminuche Creek on the Bear Creek Fire as a contingency line is not the preferred option.

TODAY’S PLAN:

• Continue fuels mitigation along the Mosca Road corridor with masticators.
• Utilize masticators to tie into an old Forest Service road on the west side of the wildfire.  
• Continue to widen Weminuche Trail by reducing the fuel load.
• Crews will continue to recon Shaw and Falls creek for potential helispots.
• Operational supervisors will continue scouting indirect control opportunities to the south along the Mosca Road, connecting that into the Weminuche Valley.
• Pike hotshots on the Mosca Fire will work to complete the handline around the fire, monitor the fire and cut dead trees away from the fire perimeter. 

WEATHER:

Moisture chances will reduce throughout the week. Will see an uptick in temperatures, possibly into the mid-80s by the end of the week.  The humidity and wind levels may pick up in afternoons, but not reach red flag wind warning levels.

Incident Information: https://tinyurl.com/mrx4pp27

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/mr2tpj69

Email :  2023.bearcreek@firenet.gov       

Information Line : 970-426-5370