Single Publication

Fire start date:   August 5, 2023 

Cause:  Lightning 

Location:  13 miles Northeast of Pagosa Springs, Colorado 

Incident Commander: 

Jay Kurth 

Management Team: 

NIMO Team 1 

Management: Suppression 

Fire size today: 1,799 acres  

Containment: 0% 

Completion: 64%  

Personnel: 150 

Evacuation Information: 

There are no current evacuations. Local residents should follow incident information for updates. 

Closures:  

• Quartz Meadows Rd (NFSR#685) 

• Quartz Ridge Trail (NFST#570) 

• Quartz Creek Trail (NFST#571) 

• https://tinyurl.com/roads-and-trails 

INCIDENT OBJECTIVES: 

• Firefighter and Public safety are the highest priority. 

• Protect private lands within East Fork San Juan River drainage, natural resources, cultural and historic sites, recreation assets, and critical infrastructure including powerlines and gas utility lines. 

The Quartz Ridge Fire warmed up a bit throughout the day and burned concentrations of dead, downed wood within the rocky area on the east side of Quartz Creek. This fire activity created some visible smoke in the afternoon and growth in the southerly direction. This is to be expected with days of drier weather and increasing temperatures in the afternoons. The size of the fire increased to 1,799 acres. 

The wildfire is burning in steep terrain in the South San Juan Wilderness.  A combination of indirect and direct control lines is being utilized to accomplish multiple objectives of full suppression on accessible parts of the fire and confinement on parts that are remote and/or present high safety risks to firefighters. Overall, 64% of these objectives have been completed. 

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 

• Continued to evaluate terrain and potential areas for containment outside of wilderness boundaries and scouted for strategic areas for control. 

• Assessed the burned area on the east side of Quartz Creek for control features and strategies. 

• Completed structure preparation along the East Fork Road at the Silver Guard Station. 

• Graded the East Fork Road to improve access for fire personnel and the public. 

TODAY’S PLAN: 

• Assess the burned area on the east side of Quartz Creek and the northern edge for control features and strategies. 

• Continue road grading operations along the East Fork Road. 

• Work with the incoming crews to orient them to the details of the fire. 

WEATHER:  

The Quartz Ridge Fire did not receive rain yesterday or last night. Higher humidities will continue today. The temperatures will be between 60-70 degrees depending on elevation. There is a 50% chance the fire will receive showers or a thunderstorm today. Winds will be light but increase with storms. 

Incident Information : https://tinyurl.com/mr37bhnr 

Facebook : https://tinyurl.com/y87cycm4 

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