Single Publication

Currant Creek Fire 

Update

July 29, 2024

Size: 183 acres   Containment: 10% 

A Type 3 Incident Management Team was ordered for the Currant Creek Fire and they will assume command Tuesday morning at 0700 hours. Fire activity overnight was minimal. However, there is still a considerable amount of heat within the fire footprint and the forecast for several more days of Red Flag weather conditions leaves potential for the fire to become active again. Two helicopters, including one Type 2 (medium) Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) ship and one Type 1 (heavy) Skycrane remain committed to assist firefighters with the strategic placement of water. An ambulance from Delta County Ambulance District is staged nearby in case there are any medical needs on the incident. Additional crews from the DFPC arrived this morning and will help existing crews work towards containment.

The first step towards achieving containment on any fire is to build a fire line by implementing hand crews or heavy equipment. In steep, rugged terrain, heavy equipment can’t operate safely. So, hand crews with chainsaws and digging tools will cut out the vegetation and dig a line into the ground removing all matter down to mineral soil. Then, crews will go back over that line and “mop up,” a process that requires firefighters to line up in a grid formation on the hot side of the fire line, physically touch the ground and fuels lying on the ground to find heat, and then to extinguish that heat by chopping up the logs, digging out the stumps, mixing in cool soil, physically moving hot fuels further into the interior, and/or applying water when it's available. Once these steps are complete, then fire managers can consider a portion of the fire perimeter “contained.”

The Incident Commander assigned personnel to conduct structure assessments within and around the fire area yesterday. Those efforts confirmed that no structures have been damaged or destroyed by the fire. The CO Multi Mission Aircraft (MMA) measured the fire area last night and found no significant growth. They observed that two fingers on the northeast side of the fire had grown together. Two images are included with this update, which were captured by the MMA last evening. The visible light image shows the fire area (darker), with red retardant lines surrounding the fire edge to the northeast and east. The infrared image (black and white) demonstrates areas of heat that remain within the fire area.

Currant Creek Road is currently closed, except to local residents, for the safety of the public and firefighting personnel. Drivers are urged to drive slowly on Rimrock Road and Cactus Park Road and watch for emergency vehicles. Firefighters will be setting up base camp at the Orchard City Town Park – Field of Dreams in Eckert. Please avoid the areas where the crews have set up so they can get the rest they need to continue working on this fire! The fire crews are self-sufficient and have a logistics unit providing food and water for firefighters. There is no need for community provided supplies, food or drink.  If you would like to make a financial contribution to support firefighters, we encourage you to donate directly to your local volunteer fire protection district so funds can be used for training and equipment.

Updates will be posted once daily. You can find up-to-date fire information on Inciweb. Evacuation information can be found on the Delta County Sheriff’s Office Facebook or on the Delta County Website.