Disaster Assistance Center opens for those affected by local wildfires
Boulder County residents who have been impacted by the #CalWoodFire and #LefthandCanyonFire can get help with a range of needs from a newly opened virtual Disaster Assistance Center. Services include food and health coverage assistance, help with transportation and clean-up and debris removal, and mental health supports.
The bilingual Disaster Assistance Center will operate virtually Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning October 23. Residents who were evacuated because of the fires can call 303-441-1206 and leave a message. An experienced specialist will return the call as quickly as possible.
Boulder County has the following supports available for any household that was evacuated or otherwise impacted due to the fires:

• Food assistance
• Housing assistance
• Financial counseling
• Health coverage
• Transportation assistance
• Referrals and linkages to other basic needs
• Mental health supports
• Help with debris removal

The Disaster Assistance Center also has access to other services and supports that the Boulder County Department of Housing & Human Services (HHS) offers, including help with childcare, financial assistance, guidance for homeowners who experienced losses, and more.

The Public Call Center (for non-emergency questions) is also available during typical business hours each day at 303-413-7730.

Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fire Update
Friday, October 23, 2020, 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

Lefthand Canyon Fire 100% Contained; CalWood Fire Containment Increases 

Current Situation: Firefighters took advantage of the cold front that moved into the area on Thursday to significantly increase containment on both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires. In Divisions N and Z, crews worked east and west towards each other, improving and mopping up containment lines on the south side of the fire. On the north edge of the fire, crews in Divisions F and Division A also patrolled and mopped up lines that were accessible. In the steeper terrain in Division A, crews monitored as the fire slowly worked its way down the canyon towards Highway 7. The CalWood Fire is 55% contained.

On Friday, crews will continue building on yesterday’s success in increasing containment by improving and mopping up lines around most of the fire’s edge. Firefighters will also be patrolling and improving lines along contained portions of the fire’s edge. In the South St. Vrain Canyon, crews will be monitoring the fire as it backs down towards Highway 7. Other firefighters in that area will be scouting for opportunities to construct fire lines to prevent the fire’s spread up or downcanyon. Fire behavior is expected to be light to moderate through the day. 

The Lefthand Canyon Fire reached 100% containment on Thursday. Crews worked through the day to mop up and patrol containment lines. Firefighters will be assigned to patrol fire lines and make improvements as necessary.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Cool, cloudy, and moist conditions are expected through the day Friday. Temperatures are expected to peak at 36 degrees and humidity will remain at 50% or above through the afternoon over both fires. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect over both fires from Friday night for low humidity and wind gusts to 20-25 mph on the CalWood Fire and gusts to 25-30 mph on the Lefthand Canyon Fire. 

Closures and Evacuations: The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office made modifications to some evacuation orders and evacuation warnings on Thursday. For complete information on evacuations for both fires, please visit https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD, visit https://boulderoem.com, or call (303) 413-7730. 

The U.S. Forest Service has a temporary closure in place for all activities on Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests lands in Grand, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Gilpin, Boulder, and Larimer counties; for more information on these emergency closures, please visit https://go.usa.gov/x7CZJ. Boulder County Parks and Open Space closed multiple properties to public use on Wednesday; for more information on these closures, please visit https://boco.org/BCPOSfireclosures. 

Air Quality: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued an Air Quality Action Day Alert for the Colorado Front Range until at least 4pm today due to locally heavy smoke in parts of northern Boulder and southern Larimer counties in close proximity to the Calwood and Left Hand Canyon wildfires, and downwind from the East Troublesome wildfire. Please visit the CDPHE Air Quality page or find more localized information at https://airnow.gov. A smoke forecast is available for the central Front Range; please visit https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/CentralColoradoFrontRange for more information. 

Emergency Alerts: Boulder County has an emergency notification system that allows residents of the county and all cities within to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell and land line phones, by text and/or by email. To sign up for alerts, please visit www.Boco911Alert.com. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fires, all aircraft will be grounded until the drone is confirmed as clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

CalWood Fire Statistics: 
Size: 10,073 acres
Containment: 55%
Total Personnel: 494
Location: 3 miles N of Jamestown, CO
Reported: October 17
Cause: Under Investigation

Lefthand Canyon Fire Statistics: 
Size: 460 acres
Containment: 100%
Total Personnel: 50
Location: 1 mile E of Ward, CO
Reported: October 18
Cause: Under Investigation

For More Information: 
Boulder County Call Center: (303) 413-7730
Interactive StoryMap: https://arcg.is/1ybX0u 
CalWood InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/
Lefthand Canyon Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7247/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires

Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fire Update
Thursday, October 22, 2020, 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

Lefthand Canyon and CalWood Fires Gain Containment on Wednesday
  
Current Situation: Both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires increased containment on Wednesday with minimal fire growth. The CalWood Fire is now 24% contained and the Lefthand Canyon Fire is 43% contained. Yesterday, crews on the southeast edge of the CalWood Fire conducted a successful tactical burn operation near the Balarat Education Center to protect structures in that area and connect constructed fire lines. Firefighters continued working in the Highway 7 corridor and along the northern edge of the fire constructing direct line and checking the progress of the fire to the north. Last night’s night shift was successful in holding the fire to minimal growth despite the overnight Red Flag Warning that brought warm temperatures and high winds to the ridgetops. 

Firefighters on the CalWood Fire will continue yesterday’s work in all divisions. Crews on the southeastern side of the fire continue to build line as the fire backs down the hill towards Spruce Gulch. On the southwestern side of the fire, crews will patrol the area near yesterday’s firing operation. On the north side of the fire, crews will continue working on the canyon’s edge and in the Highway 7 corridor with the intent of keeping the fire south of Highway 7. Crews on the northeast side of the fire will continue constructing and patrolling fire lines. 

Firefighters were able to secure the southern edge of the Lefthand Canyon Fire on Wednesday and no new growth was recorded after midday yesterday. Crews working on the north side of the fire continued mopping up and improving containment lines. Further increases in containment will come as additional containment lines are secured.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: A cold front arrived over the fire area early this morning and will continue moving into the area through the day. Temperatures will fall through the afternoon, dropping below freezing after sunset. Humidity will also be increasing over both fires today, rising to 60-70% over the course of the day. The changing weather conditions are also expected to temper fire activity today.

Closures and Evacuations: The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office enacted an evacuation order for Lyons Park Estates on Wednesday out of an abundance of caution for last night’s high winds and low humidity. All other evacuation orders and warnings remain in place. For more information on evacuations for both fires, please visit https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD or visit https://boulderoem.com. The U.S. Forest Service has a temporary closure in place for all activities on Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests lands in Clear Creek, Jefferson, Gilpin, Boulder, and Larimer counties; for more information on these emergency closures, please visit https://go.usa.gov/x7CZJ. Boulder County Parks and Open Space closed multiple properties to public use on Wednesday; for more information on these closures, please visit https://boco.org/BCPOSfireclosures. 

Air Quality: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued an Air Quality Action Day Alert for the Colorado Front Range until at least 4pm today due to moderate to heavy smoke near the Cameron Peak, CalWood, and Lefthand Canyon fires. For further information on smoke forecasts and public health, please visit the CDPHE Air Quality page https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx or find more localized information at https://airnow.gov.

Emergency Alerts: Boulder County has an emergency notification system that allows residents of the county and all cities within to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell and land line phones, by text and/or by email. To sign up for alerts, please visit www.Boco911Alert.com. 
Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fires, all aircraft will be grounded until the drone is confirmed as clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

CalWood Fire Statistics:
Size: 10,073 acres
Containment: 24%
Total Personnel: 440
Location: 3 miles N of Jamestown, CO
Reported: October 17
Cause: Under Investigation

Lefthand Canyon Fire Statistics:
Size: 460 acres
Containment: 43%
Total Personnel: 46
Location: 1 mile E of Ward, CO
Reported: October 18
Cause: Under Investigation

For More Information:
Boulder County Call Center: (303) 413-7730
Interactive StoryMap: https://arcg.is/1ybX0u 
CalWood InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/
Lefthand Canyon
Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7247/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires

Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fire Update 
Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 9:00 a.m. 

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black 
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

CalWood Fire Containment Increases on Tuesday; Red Flag Warning Wednesday  

Current Situation: On Tuesday, both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires were moderately active. Winds kept aircraft grounded in the morning, but aircraft were able to support suppression efforts in the afternoon when the winds died down. Crews constructed containment lines along the south side of the fire on Tuesday and conducted tactical firing operations on the southwest side of the fire to connect existing control lines. Firefighters also worked in the Highway 7 corridor and along the fire’s north edge constructing direct line and checking the fire’s progress to the north. Containment on the CalWood fire increased to 21% on Tuesday. 

Today, dozers, engines, and hand crews will work on the southeastern side of the fire to build line as the fire backs down the hill towards Spruce Gulch. On the southwestern side of the fire, crews will continue tactical firing operations to connect sections of existing line and protect structures in the Balarat area. On the northeast side of the fire, crews will continue working on the canyon’s edge and in the Highway 7 corridor with the intent of keeping the fire south of Highway 7. Crews on the north side of the fire will continue constructing and patrolling fire lines. 

Crews were able to get containment lines connected around the full perimeter of the Lefthand Canyon Fire on Tuesday. Those lines will be strengthened today. Firefighters assigned to the Lefthand Canyon Fire will be mopping up or removing heat from near the containment lines and patrolling for any spot fires that may cross established lines due to this afternoon’s winds. An increase in containment will come as those containment lines are secured to the point that firefighters are comfortable that the containment lines will hold.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: A Red Flag Warning is in effect for both fire areas from noon today until 8 a.m. Thursday morning due to gusty west-southwest winds and low humidity. Winds will be lighter in the morning across the fire area but will increase in the afternoon. As the day progresses, winds will shift to coming from the southwest and increase to 10-15 mph with gusts to 20 mph in Lefthand Canyon and 10-18 mph with gusts to 30 mph along the ridge tops. Relative humidity will be lower than yesterday at 18-25%, depending on location. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 60s in lower elevations and low 60s in higher elevations. An inversion layer will be in place over the fires again this morning and smoke from nearby fires may temper fire activity, as was the case on Tuesday. 

Closures and Evacuations: Road closures, evacuation orders, and evacuation warnings put in place by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office remain in effect for areas near both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires. For more information on evacuation orders near both fires, please visit https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD. Effective today, the U.S. Forest Service has a temporary closure in place for all activities on Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest lands in Clear Creek, Jefferson, Gilpin, Boulder, and Larimer counties. For more information on this emergency closure, please visit https://go.usa.gov/x7CZJ. 

Air Quality: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued an Air Quality Action Day Alert for the Colorado Front Range until at least 4pm today due to moderate to heavy smoke near the Cameron Peak, CalWood, and Lefthand Canyon fires. For further information on smoke forecasts and public health, please visit the CDPHE Air Quality page https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx or find more localized information at https://airnow.gov.

Emergency Alerts: Boulder County has an emergency notification system that allows residents of the county and all cities within to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell and land line phones, by text and/or by email. To sign up for alerts, please visit www.Boco911Alert.com. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fires, all aircraft will be grounded until the drone is confirmed as clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

CalWood Fire Statistics:
Size: 9,915Containment: 21%
Total Personnel: 411
Location: 3 miles N of Jamestown, CO
Reported: October 17
Cause: Under Investigation

Lefthand Canyon Fire Statistics:
 Size: 460
Containment: 4%
Total Personnel: 115
Location: 1 mile E of Ward, CO
Reported: October 18
Cause: Under Investigation

For More Information:
Boulder County Call Center: (303) 413-7730
Interactive StoryMap: https://arcg.is/1ybX0u 
CalWood InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/
Lefthand Canyon Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7247/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires

Actualización sobre los incendios de Calwood y Lefthand Canyon
Martes, 20 de octubre del 2020, 10:00 a.m.

Equipo de gestión de incidentes de Rocky Mountain, Team Black 
Troy Hagan, Comandante del incidente
 
Los equipos continúan haciendo progreso en los incendios de CalWood y Lefthand Canyon 
Situación actual: el lunes, las cuadrillas lograron progresar en ambos incendios, obteniendo contención adicional del incendio de CalWood. Ayer, las cuadrillas de incendio en CalWood trabajaron extensamente en varias divisiones de líneas corta fuego, muy cerca del borde del incendio. Se usaron aviones de manera considerable en el borde norte del incendio de CalWood para ayudar a los equipos en tierra a construir las líneas corta fuego y limpiar el área. Las cuadrillas monitorearon los puntos de incendio en el lado norte del drenaje de South St. Vrain así como en las tierras al norte del borde del incendio. En el borde sur del incendio, las cuadrillas continuaron la construcción de líneas corta fuego hacia el oeste, en un esfuerzo por conectar las áreas quemadas y los combustibles más livianos en la cicatriz del Incendio Overland del año 2003. El lunes, la contención aumentó en un 17% en el incendio de CalWood, el cual se encuentra en combustibles más livianos al borde este del incendio, en el corredor de la autopista 36. Hoy, los bomberos de CalWood continuarán construyendo líneas corta fuego y limpiando los puntos calientes. Los aviones se usarán nuevamente a fin de apoyar a estas tripulaciones, toda vez que las condiciones lo permitan. 

Las cuadrillas han hecho buen progreso en el incendio de Lefthand Canyon tras la crear de una línea corta fuego a lo largo de las líneas creadas el domingo. Los helicópteros lanzaron agua para enfriar el calor de los puntos calientes interiores a medida que las tripulaciones monitoreaban los incendios. Hoy, los bomberos de Lefthand Canyon continuarán construyendo y mejorando las líneas corta fuego de contención. Las cuadrillas también trabajarán para minimizar la propagación del fuego y monitorearán los puntos calientes interiores de forma puntual, a medida que los vientos aumenten sobre el área del incendio el día de hoy. Los aviones se usarán nuevamente a fin de apoyar las operaciones terrestres.

Condiciones climáticas y de combustible: Se espera que esta mañana una capa de inversión esté sobre ambos incendios, lo cual traerá cierta de cobertura de nubes y que disminuirá antes del mediodía trayendo consigo cielos soleados. Se espera que las temperaturas alcancen hasta 70 grados en las elevaciones más bajas y en mayores elevaciones podrían alcanzar temperaturas máximas entre 50 a 60 grados. Se pronostica que esta mañana los vientos serán mayores, con vientos del oeste de 15-25 mph sobre las elevaciones más altas de los incendios de CalWood y Lefthand Canyon. Se espera que los vientos en las crestas disminuyan a 8-11 mph en horas de la tarde. Así mismo, se espera que durante todo el día los vientos sean suaves en las elevaciones más bajas del incendio de CalWood. Un frente frío se asentará en el área cerca del atardecer. Delante de este frente, los vientos se desplazarán desde el noreste entre 5 y 10 mph. Con el paso de dicho frente, los vientos volverán al oeste cerca de la medianoche. Con cielos más despejados y la humedad relativa más baja el día de hoy, se espera que haya más actividad en ambos incendios.

Cierres y evacuaciones: los cierres de carreteras, las órdenes de evacuación y las advertencias de evacuación implementadas por la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Boulder continúan vigentes para las áreas cercanas a los incendios de CalWood y Lefthand Canyon. Para obtener más información sobre las órdenes de evacuación cerca de ambos incendios, por favor visite https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD. El Servicio Forestal de los EE. UU. también tiene un cierre en el Distrito de Guardabosques de Boulder para la seguridad pública y para apoyar los esfuerzos de extinción de incendios. Por favor visite: https://go.usa.gov/x7arZ.

Calidad del aire: el Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente de Colorado (CDPHE) ha emitido un Día de Acción y Alerta de Calidad del aire para el Front Range de Colorado hasta por lo menos las 4 pm del día martes, a causa del humo moderado y/o denso cerca de los incendios de Cameron Peak, CalWood y Lefthand Canyon. Para obtener más información sobre los pronósticos de humo y de salud pública, por favor visite la página de calidad del aire del Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente de Colorado (CDPHE) en https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx o encuentre más información localizada en https://airnow.gov.

Alertas de emergencia: el condado de Boulder tiene un sistema de notificación de emergencias que permite a los residentes del condado y todas las ciudades cercanas, a recibir notificaciones en situaciones de emergencia. Las notificaciones se pueden recibir de diferentes maneras, incluidos teléfonos celulares y/o líneas fijas, por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico. Para registrarse para recibir alertas, por favor visite www.Boco911Alert.com. 

Restricciones de vuelo temporales: existen restricciones temporales de vuelos sobre los incendios de Calwood y Lefthand Canyon. Los incendios forestales son una zona prohibida para los drones. Si usted vuela, nosotros no podemos hacerlo. Siempre que se detecte un avión no tripulado cerca de los incendios, todos los aviones estarán en tierra hasta que se confirme que el avión no tripulado esté fuera del área. Para más información por favor visite http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

Estadísticas de incendios de CalWood: 
Tamaño: 9,365 acres 
Contención: 17% 
Personal total: 255 
Ubicación: 3 millas al N de Jamestown, CO 
Reportado: 17 de octubre 
Causa: Bajo investigación

Estadísticas de incendios de Lefthand Canyon: 
Tamaño: 470 acres
Contención: 4%
Personal total: 115
Ubicación: 1 milla al E de Ward, CO 
Reportado: 18 de octubre
Causa: bajo investigación

Para más información:
Centro de llamadas del condado de Boulder: (303) 413-7730 
CalWood InciWeb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/
Lefthand Canyon Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7247/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires 

Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fire Update
Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 10:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

Crews Continue Making Progress on CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires  
Current Situation: Crews made progress on both fires Monday, gaining additional containment on the CalWood Fire. Yesterday, crews on the CalWood Fire worked extensively on all divisions of the fire constructing line as direct as possible to the fire’s edge. Aircraft was used extensively on the north edge of the CalWood Fire to support ground crews constructing and mopping up line. Crews monitored for spot fires on the north side in the South St. Vrain drainage and on lands north of the fire’s edge. On the southern edge of the fire, crews continued line construction towards the west, in an effort to connect burned areas and lighter fuels into the 2003 Overland Fire burn scar. Containment increased to 17% on the CalWood Fire on Monday, all of which is located in lighter fuels on the east edge of the fire in the Highway 36 corridor. Today, CalWood firefighters will continue constructing firelines and mopping up hot spots. Aircraft will again be used to support those crews when conditions allow. 

Crews made good progress on the Lefthand Canyon Fire Monday constructing fireline along lines of retardant put into place on Sunday. Helicopters dropped water to cool heat from interior hot spots while crews monitored for spot fires. Lefthand Canyon firefighters will continue building and improving containment lines today. Crews will also work to minimize fire spread and patrol for spot fires as winds increase over the fire area today. Aircraft will again be used to support ground operations.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: An inversion layer is expected to be over both fires this morning bringing a bit of cloud cover that will diminish before midday bringing sunny skies. Temperatures are expected to be up to 70 in the lower elevations with highs in the higher elevations in the upper 50s to low 60s. Winds are forecast to be higher this morning with 15-25 mph west winds over the higher elevations of the CalWood Fire and Lefthand Canyon Fire. Those ridgetop winds are expected to diminish in the afternoon to 8-11 mph. Winds are expected to be light at the lower elevations of the CalWood Fire throughout the day. A cold front will settle into the area around sunset. Ahead of this front, winds will shift out of the northeast from 5-10 mph. With the passage of the front, winds will shift back to the west around midnight. With the clearer skies and lower relative humidity today, more activity is expected on both fires.  

Closures and Evacuations: Road closures, evacuation orders, and evacuation warnings put in place by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office remain in effect for areas near both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires. For more information on evacuation orders near both fires, please visit https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD. The U.S. Forest Service also has a closure in place on the Boulder Ranger District for public safety and to support firefighting efforts. Please visit: https://go.usa.gov/x7arZ.

Air Quality: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued an Air Quality Action Day Alert for the Colorado Front Range until at least 4pm Tuesday due to moderate to heavy smoke near the Cameron Peak, CalWood, and Lefthand Canyon fires. For further information on smoke forecasts and public health, please visit the CDPHE Air Quality page https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx or find more localized information at https://airnow.gov.

Emergency Alerts: Boulder County has an emergency notification system that allows residents of the county and all cities within to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell and land line phones, by text and/or by email. To sign up for alerts, please visit www.Boco911Alert.com. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fires, all aircraft will be grounded until the drone is confirmed as clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

CalWood Fire Statistics:
Size: 9,365 acres
Containment: 17%
Total Personnel: 255
Location: 3 miles N of Jamestown, CO
Reported: October 17
Cause: Under Investigation

Lefthand Canyon Fire Statistics:
Size: 470 acres
Containment: 4%
Total Personnel: 115
Location: 1 mile E of Ward, CO
Reported: October 18
Cause: Under Investigation

For More Information:
Boulder County Call Center: (303) 413-7730
CalWood InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/ 
Lefthand Canyon Inciweb:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7247/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires

Join us live on Facebook at 7:30 pm (Mountain) on Tuesday, October 20 for a virtual community meeting. We'll have updated information about the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires and will answer your questions about firefighting efforts, strategy and evacuations. Please visit the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires Facebook page to join the meeting or for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires/

Calwood and Lefthand Canyon Fire Update 
Monday, October 19, 2020, 10:00 a.m. 

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black 
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander  

CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires Less Active Sunday; Crews Making Progress  
Current Situation: The higher humidity with the inversion layer covered most of the CalWood Fire for most of the day yesterday, which led to minimal fire activity and no measurable fire growth. Due to the inversion, aircraft use was limited through the day. Crews worked extensively on all divisions of the fire constructing line as direct as possible to the fire’s edge. Control lines were constructed between the fire and structures on the west and southwest side of the fire. Today, crews will continue line construction to protect structures and gain further containment. Aircraft will be used to support those crews if conditions allow. Crews on the east side of the fire will be mopping up and securing lines near the Highway 36 corridor and in places where lines are complete. 
 
The Lefthand Canyon Fire was largely above the inversion layer yesterday, so aircraft were used extensively in assisting ground crews. Firefighters constructed containment lines yesterday and that work will continue today with the assistance of aircraft when possible. Crews will also work to minimize fire spread and patrol for spot fires as activity increases through the day.

Rocky Mountain Type 2 Incident Management Team Black assumed command of both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon Fires at 6:00 a.m. this morning. “We appreciate the hard work and quick action by the Boulder Incident Management Team and all of the many responding agencies,” said Team Black Incident Commander Troy Hagan.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Weather over both fires is expected to be sunny through the morning then partly cloudy in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be 58-64º and humidity 20-22%. Winds over the CalWood Fire are expected to be 8-12 mph out of the west through the day with gusts up to 20 mph this afternoon. Winds over the Lefthand Canyon Fire are expected to be 10-15 mph with gusts to 30 mph. Despite yesterday’s higher humidity, fuels remain critically dry and fire activity is expected to increase midday as humidity decreases and heat will be stoked by the increasing winds. 

Closures and Evacuations: Road closures, evacuation orders, and evacuation warnings put in place by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office remain in effect for areas near both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires. For more information on evacuation orders near both fires, please visit https://arcg.is/0Lq5fD.  The U.S. Forest Service also has a closure in place on the Boulder Ranger District for public safety and to support firefighting efforts. Please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=62734.

Air Quality: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued an Air Quality Action Day Alert for the Colorado Front Range until at least 4pm Monday due to moderate to heavy smoke near the Cameron Peak, CalWood, and Lefthand Canyon fires. For further information on smoke forecasts and public health, please visit the CDPHE Air Quality page https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx or find more localized information at https://airnow.gov.

Emergency Alerts: Boulder County has an emergency notification system that allows residents of the county and all cities within to be notified of emergency situations. Notifications can be received in a variety of ways, including cell and land line phones, by text and/or by email. To sign up for alerts, please visit www.Boco911Alert.com. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Calwood and Lefthand Canyon fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fires, all aircraft will be grounded until the drone is confirmed as clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

CalWood Fire Statistics:
Size: 8788 acres
Containment: 15%
Total Personnel: 248
Location: 3 miles N of Jamestown, CO
Reported: October 17
Cause: Under Investigation
 
Lefthand Canyon Fire Statistics:
Size: 320 acres
Containment: 4%
Total Personnel: 46
Location: 1 mile E of Ward, CO
Reported: October 18
Cause: Under Investigation

For More Information:
Boulder County Call Center: (303) 413-7730
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7245/ 
Facebook: @CalWoodAndLefthandCynFires

The Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests has put in place a closure order for public safety and to support firefighting efforts. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=62734 for details

Location: 7 Miles Northwest of Crown King; 18 miles south of Prescott, AZ on the Bradshaw Ranger District (T1N, R2W, S24)

 

Start Date: 10-15-20

 

Size: 9537 Acres 

 

Percent Contained: 100%

 

Cause: Unknown.

   

Vegetation: Juniper, Chaparral, and Timber

 

Summary:  The Horse Fire, managed by the Prescott National Forest, has been declared 100% contained as of November 2, 2020. The fire remained at 9,537 acres throughout the past week as crews continued to monitor and patrol amidst cooler temperatures.

Crews successfully repaired road sections along FSR 52 extending from Crown King to Mayer/Goodwin.

 

Closures: Forest ordered closures lifted 06:00 AM Monday, October 26, 2020. Public is encouraged to remain vigilant while in the area as hazards still exist.