Single Publication

Quartz Ridge Fire          

August 19, 2023

 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: 1,475 acres

Containment: 0%

Completion: 53%           

Personnel: 159

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

Latest Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke. net/outlook/933fc4e4

 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 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, 53% of these objectives have been completed.

A Multi-Mission Aircraft flight was flown mid-morning Friday indicated there was even less heat than on Thursday. The spot fire the San Juan hotshots are working showed a pocket of heat.  Fire behavior is predicted to be minimal today. As the weather becomes warmer and drier through the weekend, the remaining pockets of heat could create smoke and increase fire activity.

YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Continued to evaluate terrain and potential areas for containment outside of wilderness boundaries and scout for strategic areas for control.
• San Juan Hotshots constructed handline and cold-trailed around the larger spot fire along Quartz Creek.
• No chipping operations occurred along the East Fork Road due to delays in the chipper’s arrival.
• Continued to implement structure protection on private lands.

TODAY’S PLAN:

• Chipping of the slash along the East Fork Road.
• Construct fireline around the spot fires with the Pike hotshots.
• Continue to build structure protection plans both logistically and operationally.

WEATHER:

Today will be drier with a 20% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures could reach into the low 80’s. Winds will increase throughout the day and become gusty with thunderstorms.

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

Facebook : https://tinyurl.com/y87cycm4

Email :  2023.quartzridge@firenet.gov       

Information Line : 970-426-5370