The Kruger Rock Fire remains at 147 acres in size. Containment is 85%. At 5:00 p.m., the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office lifted all evacuation notices for the fire area.

This will be the last email update for this fire. Beginning tomorrow, Nov. 20, the Forest Service will provide daily updates on InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7895/ and via social media (Twitter) @usfsclrd. Larimer County announced at noon today that the Joint Information Center is closed with no plans to reopen for this incident. Follow @LarimerSheriff.
It was very windy today. A wind gust was recorded by a Remote Automatic Weather Station (RAWS) near Estes Park at 46 miles per hour (mph) in the early morning hours, with gusts exceeding 30 mph recorded throughout the day. However, firefighters only saw minimal fire behavior and light smoke across the fire.
Firefighters built, improved, and secured firelines today with emphasis on the north and east sides of the fire. Firefighters spent most of their efforts on mop-up, working in from the fire’s edge up to one chain (66 feet). Please check out today’s morning update for more information on mop-up. The steep rocky terrain, heavy dead and down fuels, and snags play heavily into considerations for firefighter safety.
There will be fixed and rotor wing aircraft available tomorrow to support firefighters on the ground, weather permitting.
The area closures for the Roosevelt National Forest and a portion of Rocky Mountain National Park remain in place, and will be reevaluated daily. For U.S. Forest Service closure Information, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=70327.  The fire area could receive some snow Saturday and Saturday night; however, no more than half-inch of accumulation is expected. Weather conditions will otherwise be warm and dry through Tuesday, Nov. 23, with another chance for snow anticipated Tuesday night.
Unified command continues under US Forest Service and Larimer County. Under unified command, the Forest Service is providing general fire updates, which can now be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7895/. The County is providing information on evacuations and primary road closures at https://www.larimer.org/kruger-rock-fire.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office has issued changes to evacuations associated with the fire. Please visit https://nocoalert.org/ to see the latest information. 

The Kruger Rock Fire is 147 acres in size. The 1 acre increase from last night’s reported size is due to more accurate mapping. Containment is 60%.

While it was breezy across the fire area last night, firefighters on the night shift only saw minimal fire behavior on the interior of the fire. There’s very little smoke visible over the fire this morning.

Today will be much windier than yesterday, especially this afternoon. The strongest winds are expected from noon to 6 p.m. today with gusts possible of over 45 miles per hour. Relative humidity will be much higher, however, and fire behavior is expected to be minimal again today.

Firefighters will continue to build, improve, and secure firelines with special emphasis on the north and east sides of the fire. Where it is safe to do so, firefighters will be mopping up today in from the fire’s edge up to one chain (66 feet). Mop-up involves mixing hot embers with dirt to remove the heat. Some of these embers are buried by ash or under logs and thus difficult to find. Mop-up efforts, however, continue to be supported by a State of Colorado Multi-Mission Aircraft (MMA) equipped with sophisticated equipment which detects and locates heat on the ground. For more information on the State’s MMA program, visit https://dfpc.colorado.gov/multi-mission-aircraft-mma. Mop-up work is slow and methodical but critical to ensure as much of the fire perimeter is made as cool as possible. Steep rocky terrain, heavy dead and down fuels, and snags are important considerations for firefighter safety.

There are fixed and rotor wing aircraft available today to support firefighters on the ground if weather conditions allow.

Unified command continues under US Forest Service and Larimer County. Under unified command, the Forest Service is providing general fire updates, which can now be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7895/. The County is providing information on evacuations and primary road closures at https://www.larimer.org/kruger-rock-fire.

Follow updates on Twitter at @usfsclrd and @LarimerSheriff.

Joint Information Center: 970-980-2500

The Kruger Rock Fire remains at 146 acres. Containment is now 60%. Fire activity today was minimal. Light smoke is visible across the fire this afternoon. Some small pockets of moderate smoke are visible in a few places as heavy fuels consume.

As expected, it was very dry and windy across the fire weather under the Red Flag Warning. However, fire behavior was only minimally affected. The Red Flag Warning will continue through tonight and will expire at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Firefighters constructed and secured handline today. No aircraft were used in suppression operations today. There will be aircraft available tomorrow to support firefighters on the ground if weather conditions allow. There will be firefighters patrolling the fire area and monitoring the fire throughout the night.

Unified command continues under US Forest Service and Larimer County. Under unified command, the Forest Service is providing general fire updates, which can now be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7895/ and the County is providing information on evacuations and primary road closures: https://www.larimer.org/kruger-rock-fire

Follow updates on Twitter at @usfsclrd and @LarimerSheriff.

Joint Information Center: 970-980-2500

From @RockyNPS via Twitter on 11/16/2021 at 5 p.m. -

In an abundance of caution, due to the Kruger Rock Fire, RMNP, in conjunction with the USFS, is closing the Twin Sisters area. 
This closure includes the Twin Sisters Trail and parking area.  The Lily Lake area remains open. 
 #RMNP #KrugerFireUpdate #TwinSistersTrail

A map of the closure area may be viewed by clicking here.

 A portion of the Roosevelt National Forest remains closed to visitors near the Kruger Rock Fire. To view the closure order and map, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=70327. 

The Kruger Rock Fire remains at 146 acres. Containment is 40%. Fire activity last night was minimal. Light smoke is visible across the fire this morning.

Temperatures in Estes Park this morning registered around  8 degrees, but that was expected to change quickly this morning as red flag conditions arrive around 10 a.m. Relative humidity is expected to dip this afternoon into the single digit range. Winds will develop late morning and increase throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Valley winds will likely gust to 25 to 35 mph. Ridgetop winds should reach peak gusts of around 35 mph. The red flag warning will continue until tomorrow at 5 a.m.

There are 210 total personnel working on the fire today. Firefighters will continue constructing handline along the north and east sides of the fire today. They’ll also continue to secure existing fire lines wherever possible. Aircraft are available today to support firefighters on the ground if weather conditions allow.

Unified command continues under US Forest Service and Larimer County. Under unified command, the Forest Service is providing general fire updates and the County is providing information on evacuations and primary road closures: https://www.larimer.org/kruger-rock-fire

Follow updates on Twitter at @usfsclrd and @LarimerSheriff.

Joint Information Center: 970-980-2500

U.S. Forest Service Closure Information:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=70327

Fire managers on the Carson National Forest began to implement the Valle Vidal Hart Canyon prescribed burn Wednesday, November 17. The burn is located approximately 19 miles northwest of Cimarron and 16 miles northeast of Ute Park, New Mexico.  The fuels treatments will be implemented in effort to restore and improve forest health and reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfires.

Fire managers completed 1600 acres on Wednesday. Ignitions began again on Thursday morning and will continue into the afternoon. 

Smoke may be visible from the surrounding areas: Cimarron, Ute Park, Raton, Costilla and Amalia during and after ignitions are completed. The Carson National Forest manages prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state regulations on air quality and smoke management. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. 

Elkins, W.Va., November 22, 2021 – This month Monongahela National Forest successfully completed three prescribed burns on about 1,000 acres in Greenbrier, Pendleton and Pocahontas counties. These prescribed burns are helping to re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest ecosystem, improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

“Fall is a good time to do a prescribed burn,” said Aaron Kendall, fire management officer for Monongahela National Forest. “Prescribed burning when conditions are right produces a slower moving burn and, in addition to providing ecological benefits, helps to reduce leaf litter and other hazardous fuels.”

Prescribed burns in the Big Mountain area help maintain the oak forest, promote oak regeneration, and will eventually increase mast that is crucial for wildlife.

The County Line and North Fork burns, in the southern part of the national forest, help create conditions that favor oak-hickory and oak-pine communities and reduce vegetation in the understory resulting in increased wildlife habitat diversity, increased mast, and ultimately a healthier forest. Many species also prefer a more open forest floor for breeding and foraging, which can result from periodic prescribed burning. In addition, the County Line and North Fork prescribed burns benefit the endangered Indiana bat by providing snags for roosting and encouraging flowering plants which attract bugs the bats like to eat.

Maps and photos of the prescribed burns can be found on InciWeb:

• Big Mountain – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7888/
• County Line – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7890/
• North Fork – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7892/

Firefighters from Monongahela National Forest were assisted by several other organizations during prescribed burning this fall. Many thanks to the following groups:

• Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs District (Wyoming)
• Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada District (Nevada)
• Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District (Colorado)
• Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (West Virginia)
• National Park Service, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (West Virginia)
• South Arkansas Fire Protection District (Colorado)
• USDA Forest Service, Klamath National Forest (California)
• USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest (Washington)

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Fire staff successfully completed the North Fork Prescribed Burn yesterday, Nov. 11.  They are on site today patrolling fire control lines and mopping up any hot spots. 

Please check West Virginia Division of Forestry's Fire Burning Guidelines if you are planning any outdoor burning:
https://commerce.wv.gov/october-1-is-the-start-of-fall-fire-season-west-virginia-residents-urged-to-follow-burning-guidelines/

And, our friend Smokey Bear has a lot of wildfire prevention information at his webpage:
https://smokeybear.com/