PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo., 18 May, 2022—The Plumtaw Fire is burning 7 miles north of Pagosa Springs, 2 miles west of the intersections of Plumtaw and Fourmile Roads. An evacuation notice has been issued for the Lost Valley of the San Juans, located in Mineral County, CO. No further evacuations or pre-evacuations have been ordered at this time. For evacuation information, contact the Archuleta County Emergency Operations Call Center at 970-422-7084. The fire area will be closed to the public, including Fourmile Road (NFSR 645) at the forest boundary, and Plumtaw Road (NFSR 634) from the junction of McManus Road (NFSR 633). This closure includes Fourmile Falls Trailhead.
The Plumtaw Fire was mapped via infrared satellite imagery at 613 acres as of 10am this morning. Overnight, the fire backed down to within 150 feet of Fourmile Road (NFSR 645). Firefighters sent a low-intensity fire from the road to meet the oncoming fire to create a buffer, an operation known as a “burn out.” This strategic tool will allow for better visibility during the day and provide opportunities to work off Fourmile Road as a holding line. Hazardous fuels treatments completed in 2021 along the Fourmile Road helped crews hold the fire at that road. Today fire personnel will focus efforts on the northeast corner near Four Mile Road (NFSR 400), protecting the Fourmile Creek watershed and Lost Valley Subdivision and keeping the fire north of Plumtaw Road (NFSR 634). The cause of the fire is under investigation. The San Juan National Forest will enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions at 12:01am on Friday, May 20. More information is to come this week on fire restriction implementation. For regular up-to-date information on the Plumtaw Fire, visit the InciWeb page: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8113/
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