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: 394 acres

Mosca: 7 acres

Containment:   0%      

Personnel:  86

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:

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

Wetting rains, cloudy weather and cooler temperatures assisted with slowing fire movement.  The aspen stands to the east and south of the fire continued to slow fire growth, as they are less susceptible to fire spread.  Firefighters have been unable to directly engage due to the dangerous loading of standing and down dead trees. While fire fighters are prepared for the fire to back down to the Weminuche Valley, significant fire growth is not expected today.  The potential for spread remains in Bear Creek towards the Little Sand and Shaw Creek trails.  Structure protection groups are in place and are assessing additional structures as well as monitoring the fire from the meadow.

The Mosca Fire grew slightly to 7 acres, burning in heavy down fuels and is headed toward a large aspen stand. The fire is burning in a remote area northwest of Bear Creek near Slide Mountain in difficult terrain.

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• 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 if that is needed.
• Crews in the Weminuche Valley area assessed risk level to private land/structures and developed and implemented structure protection plans.
• Local ground-fire resources continued to directly monitor fire growth and directional spread. These observations are critical to assessing the probability of success of the current incident strategy being achieved.

TODAY’S PLAN:

• Continue fuels mitigation along the Mosca Road corridor with masticators.
• Operational supervisors will continue scouting indirect control opportunities to the south along the Mosca Road, connecting that into the Weminuche Valley.
• Continue to collaboratively develop Management Action Points (MAP) with cooperators and stakeholders. MAPs are clearly specified incident conditions that, when reached, prompt a predefined fire management action or trigger the implementation of new strategies/tactics.
• Pike hotshots will be flown into the Mosca fire to assess the fire and begin to cut an access trail.

WEATHER:

The weather trend includes chances of rain showers and stable temperatures due to mostly cloudy skies.  Additional moisture is temporarily predicted to move into the region on Monday.

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

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/mr2tpj69

Email :  2023.bearcreek@firenet.gov       Information Line : 970-426-5370