Single Publication

FIRE UPDATE: 

Fire start date:   August 1, 2023 

Fire size today:   330 acres 

Containment:   0% 

Location:  23 miles Northwest of Pagosa Springs, Colorado             

Personnel:  103    

Cause:  Lightning

Management:  Suppression 

EVACUATION INFORMATION: 

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

CLOSURES: 

The San Juan National Forest has issued a Closure Order for the area surrounding the Bear Creek Fire. Reference the map included with this update. This Order shall be in effect from August 9, 2023 at 12:00pm through December 31, 2023 at 5:00pm, unless rescinded. The purpose of the order is to protect public health and safety during the ongoing Bear Creek Fire.

• Little Sand Trail (NFST#591) from Mosca Road

• Shaw Creek Trail (NFST#584)

• Falls Creek Trail (NFST#673)

• Cloman Park in Pagosa Springs

Latest Smoke Outlook:

outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/933fc4e4    

INCIDENT OBJECTIVES:

• Firefighter and Public safety will be the highest priority throughout all phases of the incident.

• To protect private lands within the Weminuche Creek drainages, critical infrastructure including powerlines and gas utility lines, as well as natural resources, cultural and historic sites, and recreation assets.

Fire managers continue to develop plans for when the fire reaches terrain more favorable for engagement. Firefighters have been unable to directly engage due the dangerous loading of dead timber both standing and down. Firefighters are prepared for when the fire backs down to the Weminuche Valley, providing an anchor point for them to begin suppression operations. Structure protection operations are underway and will continue today. Crews will monitor the fire overnight. A National Incident Management Organization Team has been ordered to assume command of the incident August 12th at 0600, providing additional capacity and oversight.

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Firefighting crews in the Weminuche Valley area assessed risk level to private land/structures and developed and began implementing structure protection plans. Residences closest to the fire have been completed. Ground crews are continuing assessments heading south through the valley.

• 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:

• Structure protection groups will continue risk assessments and will set up structure protection equipment.

• Operational overhead will continue scouting indirect control opportunities to the south along the Mosca Road, connecting that east into the Weminuche Valley.

• Incoming firefighting resources will be briefed and assigned operational assignments. Significant national competition for resources on higher-priority fires has led to difficulty in obtaining the number/types of resources needed.

• 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.

• Communicate with landowners, affected utilities, and county stakeholders.

WEATHER:

The weather trend includes increasing chances of rain showers. Lower temperatures and higher humidities are expected, as are scattered showers and thunderstorms.