10/14/2020 Cameron Peak Fire Information Update

Cameron Peak Fire Update

Wednesday, October 14, 2020 – 8:00 am

Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Office: 970-541-1008

Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2020.cameronpeak@firenet.gov

An Extreme Wind Event Will Challenge the Cameron Peak Fire Today

Yesterday, Northwest Incident Management Team 6 was shadowed by the Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team (IMT) to ensure a safe and efficient transition.  At 6 am today, the Rocky Mountain IMT, under the direction of Incident Commander Dan Dallas, assumed command of the Cameron Peak Fire.

Current Situation: High winds through the night have created extreme fire conditions for firefighters.  There are two primary areas of concern today as winds are expected to continue.  A spot fire has established on the northeast end of the fire, south of Bellaire Lake.  Firefighters are using heavy equipment to contain the spot before it crosses Manhattan Road.

On the southeast side of the fire near the Colorado State University Mountain Campus, the fire has pushed to the east 5-10 miles.  It has crossed Pingree Park Road and is established in the Buckhorn drainage moving towards Stove Prairie.  In this area fire personnel will be working on structure protection to the extent that it’s safe to do so.  The Incident Management Team is working closely with the Larimer County Sheriff’s office on identifying changing needs to evacuation status as the fire advances to the east.

This will be a rapidly changing situation today as winds will continue to be an issue.  Please monitor Facebook and Inciweb as we provide real time updates from operations.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: There is a high wind warning today from 2:00 am to 12:00 pm, followed by a Red Flag Warning from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Skies will be partly cloudy with maximum temperatures of 50-60 degrees. The minimum humidity will fall to 15-20%. Ridgetops and open slopes will have west winds from 45-60 mph with gusts of 75-80 mph. These winds in combination with the extremely dry fuels may bring active to extreme fire behavior. Interior pockets of fuels will continue to burn into the evening.

Closures and Evacuations: Several evacuations are in place. Due to extreme weather conditions the situation may change rapidly. For updates, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone. Emergency information will be forwarded as needed.

Larimer County evacuations and road closures: https://nocoalert.org

Arapaho Roosevelt National Forests closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=60887

Rocky Mountain National Park closures: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/fireinformation-and-regulations.htm

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Cameron Peak Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Cameron Peak Fire Statistics:

Size: 135,556 acres

Containment: 56%

Total Personnel: 951

Location: 2 miles SW of Red Feather Lakes, CO

Reported: August 13, 2020

Cause: Under investigation          

For More Information:

Information Office: 970-541-1008  8 am to 8 pm

Email: 2020.cameronpeak@firenet.gov

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CameronPeakFire/