Single Publication

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: 415 acres

Mosca: 8 acres

Containment:   

Bear Creek: 0%

Mosca: 90%

Personnel:  

Bear Creek: 106

Mosca: 27

Evacuation Information: 

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

losures:

• Cloman Park in Pagosa Springs
• https://tinyurl.com/trails-and-roads

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 due to heavy rainfall in the area. The increase of the Mosca Fire acreage was due to more accurate GPS mapping on the ground.

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 clearing of vegetation along the Weminuche Trail and mastication of vegetation along the Mosca Road continued. The fire received localized thunderstorms and wetting rain yesterday. Very little smoke will be seen from the fire today.

Mosca Wildfire: This wildfire is burning remains in existing footprint 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. The Pike Hot Shot Crew has been building handline and mopping up in hopes of full containment on Friday morning.

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Pike hotshots completed all 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.

TODAY’S PLAN:

• Continue fuels mitigation along the Mosca Road corridor with masticators.
• Continue to widen the fuel break along the Weminuche Trail by reducing the density of vegetation.
• 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 and mop up the remaining hot spots. 

WEATHER:

Monsoonal moisture is likely in the afternoons. Temperatures will continue to rise for the next several days, 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