Chris Mountain Fire Update

July 2, 2023  10:00 am

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Three

Matt Spring, Incident Commander

Date Reported: June 28, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Size: 459

Containment: 0%

Total Personnel: 365

Location: 12 Mile west-northwest of Pagosa Springs, CO

Current Situation: Fire behavior was moderate yesterday, with most of the growth on the north-northeast side and some growth in the southwestern corner. Fire is spreading mostly in timber understory, consuming ground fuels, and there has been some isolated tree torching. Fire behavior should be similar today; winds will shift again this afternoon to come from the west-southwest and may become gusty and erratic. This could increase activity and growth in the north and east sections as fire becomes established in the bowl just west of Devil Creek and as it backs down toward the Devil Creek drainage on the east.

Crews have successfully built fire line along the entire western edge of the fire, connecting into the west fork of Devil Creek, and extending south to Snow Angel Ranch. Yesterday, aerial resources supported firefighters’ work from above by dropping both retardant and water, flying for a total of 21 flight hours throughout the day. Today, crews on the west side will improve fire line and work to extend it around the southmost edge of the fire, north of Snow Angel Ranch. On the east side of the fire yesterday, helicopters dropped numerous buckets of water to slow the fire’s progress as it backed towards Devil Creek drainage and will do so again today. Firefighters are scouting for indirect line options east and northeast of the fire in the event it crosses to the east side of Devil Creek drainage. Near the south-east edge, hand crews and dozers are working off existing road systems to build indirect fire line from the roads to Snow Angel Ranch. Structure protection crews remain present near the Snow Angel Ranch and are also scouting and assessing near the Turkey Springs area to the northeast. Firefighters remain stationed overnight near Snow Angel Ranch and the Devil Creek Drainage to monitor for change in fire behavior.

Weather & Smoke Information: Hot, dry weather is predicted for the next several days as a high-pressure system builds across the west, with temps in the low to mid 80s. Relative humidity of 10-20% - slightly drier than recent days - will be common for the next few days. Today, humidity may be as low as 11-15% with a 20% chance of afternoon thunderstorms. There is potential for breezy conditions to return from Tues. through Thurs. (July 4 - 6), with gusts to 23 mph. These warm, dry, and breezy conditions will continue to dry fuels and make them more susceptible to ignition, potentially increasing fire activity.

Closures: San Juan National Forest has a closure order in effect: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-publication/cosjf-chris-mountain-fire/chris-mountain-fire-closure

Evacuations: Archuleta County has issued mandatory evacuations for Forest Road 628, effective June 28th, 2023. To sign up for emergency notifications, visit the Archuleta County Emergency Operations website. You may also find evacuation information on their Facebook page or call the Chris Mountain Evacuees Call Center: at 970-264-8373 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A TFR is in place at this time. TFR link: tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_9743.html

Fire Information Phoneline: (970) 549-8799     Hours: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094353994683   Email: 2023.chrismountain@firenet.gov

InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/cosjf-chris-mountain-fire

Size: 950 acres

Containment: 85%

Start Date: June 28, 2023

Cause: Under Investigation, Human Caused

The Storage Fire, burning south of Possum Kingdom Lake and 9 miles west of Palo Pinto in Palo Pinto County, started on June 28, 2023. The fire is suspected to be human caused and is under investigation. The fire is burning in brush, grass and mesquite mix, and is showing low to moderate fire behavior now.

Evacuations: There are currently no evacuations in place in for the Storage Fire. Residents are advised to use caution when reentering area as there will be trees and power poles weakened by the fire's passage. Residents may also continue to smoke and even small flames for the near future as the fire continues to burn within the burned area.

The has been only one damaged structure and no injuries reported on this fire.

Yesterday: The Storage Fire received beneficial rain across the burn area for several hours yesterday, and crews patrolled and monitored the fire for most of the day in the rain. With the beneficial rainfall and less observed heat, all crews came off the line last night to get a good night’s rest and recover.

Today: Engine and Heavy Equipment crews will be working together to construct the last section of containment line with a combination of hand cut line and dozer line. The area they are working in has some steep and rocky terrain as well as some key values to protect and dozers are not able to construct quality line due to some of these factors. Firefighters will utilize hand tools, chainsaws, and hoses from the engines to cut a line in the ground and then mop-up all hot areas near that line. Additionally, we have begun releasing some resources so that they can return their home units and be ready in case a new fire starts elsewhere across the state.

Weather and Fire Behavior: It will be a sunny day over the fire today with temperatures reaching up into the low 90s. The relative humidity will remain high throughout the day and into this evening, helping to lower fire activity in the area. There is a chance for some additional storms this afternoon and fire personnel will monitor the weather or any changes.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is an updated Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place for the area over the fire, [NOTAM: FDC 3/9966, https://bit.ly/437Sg2D]. Please avoid the area to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft. If there are any drone or aircraft intrusions into the TFR, all aerial operations must stop.

Fire Information

Adam Turner

Public Information Officer, Texas A&M Forest Service

Email: adam.turner@tfs.tamu.edu

Phone: 940-328-9158

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/txtxs-storage-fire

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllHazardsTFS

Actualización del Incendio Spring Creek

2 Julio de 2023

Equipo de Gestión de Incidentes del Complejo del área de las Montañas Rocosas Dos

Jared Hohn, Comandante del Incidente

Fecha Reportada: 24 de Junio, 2023

Causa: Bajo Investigación

Tamaño: 2, 925 acres

Confinamiento: 25%

Personal Total: 521

Locación: Sur oeste de Parachute, CO.

Situación Actual: El incendio de Spring Creek tuvo un crecimiento mínimo ayer. Los bomberos continuaron mejorando las líneas de contención. Mientras el porcentaje de contención se mantuvo casi igual, los bomberos están logrando un buen progreso en el trabajo de fortalecimiento y conexión de las secciones de la línea de fuego. Asegurarse de que la línea de fuego sea segura es especialmente importante porque hay una advertencia meteorológica de bandera roja prevista para el 4 de julio. Los administradores de incendios están analizando las condiciones previstas y están modelando el comportamiento del fuego para estar preparados para lidiar con las condiciones probables. La variedad de combustibles y el terreno extremo aún presentan desafíos sustanciales. Hoy, los bomberos continuarán trabajando para obtener más contención alrededor del fuego, enfriar los puntos calientes a lo largo del borde, cortar los obstáculos que pueden llevar el fuego a través de las líneas si se caen y fortalecer la línea de fuego actual. Es posible que las cuadrillas enciendan algunas bolsas de combustible sin quemar en áreas de vegetación densa para proporcionar una barrera más amplia si las condiciones climáticas lo permiten. Brindar seguridad a los bomberos es siempre la prioridad principal, pero los administradores de incendios y los bomberos son aún más conscientes de la gravedad de su trabajo hoy, el Día Nacional del Bombero Forestal.

Spring Creek Road y High Mesa Road están abiertas solo al tráfico local. Evite estas áreas si es posible y conduzca con precaución con el aumento de personal de bomberos en la carretera.

Información sobre el Clima y el Humo: Se pronostica que el clima seguirá siendo cálido y seco con cielos despejados durante los próximos dos días. Se pronostican vientos leves del NW de 5 a 10 mph. Se espera que la recuperación de la humedad durante la noche sea deficiente, lo que hará que el fuego se vuelva más activo más temprano en el día, pero hoy no se espera ningún movimiento significativo. Para el martes, se pronostica que el clima se volverá más cálido y mucho más ventoso creando condiciones climáticas casi críticas para incendios. El incendio de Spring Creek está produciendo humo que puede afectar la calidad del aire.

Para obtener información sobre la calidad del aire actual y problemas de salud relacionados, visite https://www.garfield-county.com/ o https://fire.airnow.gov.

Cierres: La Oficina de Administración de Tierras Campo del Valle del Río Colorado y el Bosque Nacional del Río Blanco del Servicio Forestal de EE. UU. tienen órdenes de cierre de tierras públicas vigentes para la seguridad del público y de los bomberos. Visite la oficina de campo de BLM Colorado River Valley y el Servicio Forestal de EE. UU. – White River para ver las órdenes.

Evacuaciones: No hay evacuaciones en estos momentos. Se les pide a los residentes a registrarse en el sistema de notificación de emergencia del condado de Garfield en garco911.com. Todas las órdenes de evacuación se realizarán a través de la oficina del Sheriff. Llame a la línea de mensajes grabados al 970-981-3401 para obtener información actualizada sobre evacuaciones.

Restricciones Temporales de Vuelo: Existe una restricción de vuelo temporal (FDC 03/215) para el espacio aéreo sobre el incendio de Spring Creek para reducir los impactos en los operadores de aviación de incendios. La respuesta de la aviación contra incendios se detiene o retrasa si una aeronave no autorizada ingresa al área restringida. Las restricciones temporales de vuelo también se aplican a los sistemas de aeronaves no tripuladas (UAS) o drones. ¡Si tú vuelas, nosotros no podemos!

Línea Telefónica de Información Sobre el Incendio: (970)414-1772 Horario: 8am – 9pm

Facebook: SpringCreekFire2023 Correo Electrónico: 2023.springcreek@firenet.gov InciWeb: Spring Creek Fire Information

Titan Fire Update

Sunday, July 2, 2023 – 9:00 a.m.

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Phone: 719-257-3621

Email: 2023.titan@firenet.gov

Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Notes: RMCIMT 1’s top priority is always firefighter and public safety. The first objective in the Incident Action Plan is to reduce the risk to incident personnel and the public through strategic risk management processes and subsequent risk analysis. The team is committed to minimizing impacts to private structures and homes, including the surrounding communities, powerline/oil/gas infrastructure, water treatment facilities, and natural and cultural resources, using a full suppression strategy. Firefighters are also managing suppression activities on private property to minimize disturbances and erosion, protect watersheds, and minimize damage to private property values. Fire officials will continue to provide timely and accurate information to Agency Administrators, the Las Animas County Sheriff, cooperators, stakeholders, the public and media, until the incident is transferred back to the local authorities on Sunday, July 2, at 6:00 p.m. This will be the last formal update from Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1. Please contact local authorities for your information needs beginning this evening.

Current Situation: All landowners can return to their properties as of June 30, at 3:00 p.m. Firefighters continue to make good progress towards containment and full suppression. Heavy equipment and hand crews are building and reinforcing fireline using mop-up and cold trailing techniques.

Mopping up describes the hard physical labor process of extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines down to the mineral soil, felling fire damaged trees, and cooling ash pits enhancing fireline. Mopping up reduces the likelihood of any remaining fire moving past firelines and reducing residual smoke. Hazardous stump holes may still be smoldering and putting out smoke, but on the interior of the fire perimeter, they pose no risk to the completed fireline.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Mild weather conditions continue today over the fire area with high humidity, low windspeed and moderate temperatures. There is a chance of rain over the next several days, and some storms will have heavy rains that could result in wetting rains. Watch for the possibility of locally high winds due to nearby thunderstorm activity.

Safety & Preparedness Information: Residents are encouraged to register with the Las Animas County emergency notification system at lasanimascounty.colorado.gov/codered. Now is the time to make sure you, your family and your property are prepared for wildfire. Visit Ready, Set, GO! at wildlandfirersg.org and Firewise USA at firewise.org for more information. Three critical things you can do right now to plan and prepare are: 1) Check with your insurance agent to make sure you have enough insurance to rebuild your home if it is lost or damaged in a fire; 2) Do a home inventory list and document it with photos and video; 3) Have an evacuation kit, a family plan and a safe escape route in the event of wildfire evacuations. With the rains come very slick roads, so please be careful when driving.

There is still a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the Titan Fire. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Titan Fire Statistics:

Size: 930 acres

Containment: 70%

Total Personnel: 220

Location: 11 miles northwest of Trinidad, CO

Reported: June 28, 2023

Cause: Under investigation

For More Information:

Information Phone: 719-257-3621

Email: 2023.titan@firenet.gov

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TitanFire2023

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Public Information Officers with the #SpringCreekFire Rocky Mountain Critical Incident Management Team 2 will be setup today at the:

Palisade Sunday Farmers Market from 9am-1pm

Downtown Palisade-Third and Main Street.

We will have a booth with fire information as well as general fire prevention materials!

Not able to make it in person? Check out our online resources:

Fire Information Phoneline: (970) 414-1772 Time: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Facebook: Spring Creek Fire 2023

Email: 2023.springcreek@firenet.gov

Spring Creek Fire Update

July 2, 2023

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Two
Jared Hohn, Incident Commander

Date Reported: June 24, 2023
Cause: Under Investigation
Size: 2,925 acres
Containment: 25%
Total Personnel: 521
Location: Southwest of Parachute, CO

Current Situation: The Spring Creek Fire experienced minimal growth yesterday. Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 continued improving containment lines. While the percentage of containment remained about the same, firefighters are making good progress on the work of strengthening and connecting sections of fireline. Making sure the fireline is secure is especially important because there is a Red Flag Weather Warning predicted for July 4th. Fire managers are looking at the predicted conditions and are modeling fire behavior so they are prepared to deal with the likely conditions. The varied fuels and extreme terrain still present substantial challenges. Today firefighters will continue work to gain more containment around the fire, cool hot spots along the edge, cut snags that may carry fire across the lines if they fell, and strengthen current fireline. Crews may possibly ignite some pockets of unburned fuel in areas of dense vegetation to provide a wider barrier if weather conditions allow. Providing for firefighter safety is always a primary priority, but fire managers and firefighters are even more aware of the gravity of their work today, National Wildland Firefighter Day.

Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. Please avoid these areas if possible and drive with caution with increase in fire personnel on the roadway.

Weather & Smoke Information: The weather is predicted to continue to be warm and dry with clear skies for the next two days. Light NW winds of 5-10 mph are predicted. Overnight humidity recovery is expected to be poor causing the fire to become more active earlier in the day, but no significant movement is expected today. By Tuesday, the weather is predicted to grow warmer and much windier creating near critical fire weather conditions. The Spring Creek Fire is producing smoke that may affect air quality. For information on current air quality and related health concerns, visit garfield-county.com/air-quality or fire.airnow.gov.

Closures: Bureau of Land Management Colorado River Valley Field Office and US Forest Service White River National Forest have public land closure orders in place for the safety of public and firefighters.

Visit BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office and U.S. Forest Service – White River for closure orders.

Evacuations: There are no evacuations at this time. Residents are encouraged to register with Garfield County's emergency notification system at: Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority (garco911.com). All evacuation orders will be conducted through the Sheriff's office. Call recorded message line at 970-981-3401 for current evacuation information

Temporary Flight Restrictions: There is a TFR (FDC 03/0215) in place for air space over the Spring Creek Fire to reduce impacts to fire aviation operators. Fire aviation response is halted or delayed if an unauthorized aircraft enters the TFR. Temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

Fire Information Phoneline: (970) 414-1772 Time: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Facebook: Spring Creek Fire 2023 Email: 2023.springcreek@firenet.gov InciWeb: Spring Creek Fire Information

Bone Lightning Fire Update

Saturday July 1, 2023

Stanislaus National Forest

Incident Management Team (Type-3)

Bone Lightning Fire Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/castf-2023-bone-lightning-fire

Fire Statistics:

Location: The Bone Lightning Fire is located in a remote area of the Stanislaus National Forest on the Groveland Ranger District north west of Cherry Lake.

Acres burned to date: 261

Cause:  Lightning

Total Personnel: 80 consisting of (2) Hot Shot crews, (3) Type 2 engines, (1) Wildland Fire Module

Injuries: 0

Background:

The Bone Lightning Fire was detected on June 15, 2023 in the pre-planned Cherry North Prescribed (RX) Burn on the Groveland Ranger District. This area had already been pre-prepped for the planned burn. Fire managers are utilizing the pre-determined boundaries to ensure this naturally lightning ignited fire stays within pre-determined boundaries.

Today’s Activities:

This morning a .10 acre spot fire occurred outside the containment line. Crews and engines promptly responded and contained the spot fire. No other spot fires occurred today.

Following spot fire containment, fire resources focused on prepping more containment lines within the project area and performed ignition operations on the fire.

All ignitions are meeting fire objectives even with higher temperatures and lower relative humidities. Fire crews are maintaining safe work environments, with the goal of fully containing the Bone Lightning Fire at approximately 900 acres.

You may have heard fire staff on our daily Operations videos refer to areas as “Division Alpha” and “Division Zulu” when only A and Z are on the map. Why not just say “A” or “Z”? Clear communication is a vital part of fire operations. In many cases, there is no room for error.

The firefighters on the ground, in the air, and at the Incident Command Post all need to communicate to each other remotely. Have you ever been spelling your name over the phone, and you say “M”, but the person writes down “N”? It’s irritating but not critical that a mistake was made. When our firefighters are communicating about operational locations, it’s critical to effectively communicate so all resources understand and can operate accordingly without any confusion or misunderstandings. Firefighters lives depend on clear and consistent communication, and the phonetic alphabet is one simple practice to ensure that happens.

Jeramy Dietz, Planning Operations Section Chief Trainee, Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 explains the difference between indirect and direct fireline and how to determine which line tactic to use.  The video can be watched at this link https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-videos-gallery/cowrf-spring-creek-fire

Chris Mountain Fire Update July 1, 2023 11:00 am

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Three Matt Spring, Incident Commander

Date Reported: June 28, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Size: 348

Containment: 0%

Total Personnel: 302

Location: 12 miles west-northwest of Pagosa Springs

Current Situation: Management of the Chris Mountain Fire transitioned to the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Three Friday evening at 8:00 pm. The fire is on the San Juan National Forest, Pagosa Springs Ranger District and was reported on June 28th. Over the past few days, the fire has slowly backed into the Devil Creek Drainage. The fire is removing understory debris with occasional single tree torching.

Crews will engage the fire directly where the vegetation and terrain allow them to do so safely. Additional crews, engines and overhead resources arrived on the fire yesterday. Crews were able to build approximately one mile of direct handline utilizing a network of trails and roads on the northwest portion of the fire. Today, crews will continue constructing line on the western side moving south. On the southern end of the fire, crews will begin constructing line north of the Snow Angel Ranch creating an anchor point. On the east side of the fire, crews and overhead will scout locations for primary and secondary containment lines. Fixed and rotor wing aviation will be utilized to slow the fire progression and assist the crews on the ground.

Residents and travelers should expect to see an increase in fire vehicle traffic in Pagosa Springs.

Weather & Smoke Information: The weather will continue to be warm and dry. Temperatures today will reach in the mid-80s over the fire area. The relative humidity is expected to be around 18 percent. There is a small chance for afternoon thunderstorms, but no measurable precipitation is anticipated.

Closures: San Juan National Forest has a closure order in effect: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-publication/cosjf-chris-mountain-fire/chris-mountain-fire-closure

Evacuations: Archuleta County has issued mandatory evacuations for Forest Road 628, effective June 28th, 2023. No structures have been lost, but some near the heel/southern end of the fire are considered threatened, prompting evacuations. To sign up for emergency notifications, visit the Archuleta County Emergency Operations website. For current evacuation information, visit their Facebook page or call the Chris Mountain Evacuees Call Center: at 970-264-8373

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A TFR is in place at this time. TFR link: tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_9743.html

FIRE NAME INFORMATION

Fire Information Phoneline: (970) 549-8799 Time: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094353994683

Email: 2023.chrismountain@firenet.gov

InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/cosjf-chris-mountain-fire