LA PLATA COUNTY’S 416 FIRE DEVOURS 2,000 ACRES IN DAY
Number of firefighters battling the blaze increases to 674.
A growing team of firefighters is battling the 416 fire in hopes of preventing it from reaching and consuming hundreds of homes as another round of mandatory evacuations was issued Friday morning for 304 residences.
Law enforcement officers began knocking on the doors of homes at 10 a.m. on the east and west sides of U.S. 550 from Electra Lake Drive north to Hermosa Cliffs Road and to the north end of Two Dogs Trail. Residents had until 4 p.m. Friday to evacuate.
There is some good news: Although the blaze had consumed 7,180 acres of mostly forest lands, no homes have been burned and no people have been injured.
“It’s working,” spokeswoman Megan Graham said Friday morning, referring to firefighting tactics, including holding a critical boundary to keep the flames away from homes. “They’re keeping the fire on the west side of U.S. 550.”
Still, the wildfire has advanced in dry, hot conditions and threatens hundreds of homes, Graham said.
“It’s definitely near some structures,” she said. “It’s gotten pretty close.”
Officials on Friday were expecting the fire to bear down on the town of Hermosa and threaten homes. More than 1,200 homes have been evacuated, and an additional 750 residences were under pre-evacuation orders.
Thick smoke across southern Colorado triggered a new airquality advisory Friday morning. The Colorado Department of Public Health advisory affects much of southwest Colorado and will remain in place until 9 a.m. Saturday.
“Heavy smoke has been observed throughout large parts of La Plata County Friday morning, particularly along the Animas River from the fire location southward to the New Mexico state line. This will impact locations including Hermosa, Durango and the Southern Ute Reservation,” the advisory says.
The number of firefighters battling the blaze grew to 674, Graham said. Even so, the fire remains only 10 percent contained.
The Escalante Middle School at 141 Baker Lane in Durango has been designated as an evacuation center and shelter. Evacuated residents must check in at the center to receive credentials for re-entry when conditions allow. A second evacuation check-in site is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Silverton Town Hall, 1360 Greene St.
Evacuees who have received check-in credentials can visit the Durango Food Bank, 194 Bodo Drive, Suite C, for food and other supplies. Suggested items for the public to donate to the food bank include cereal; pancake mix; canned, cupped and dried fruits; peanut butter; canned beans and vegetables; trail mix, nuts and jerky; laundry soap; and personal hygiene items such as soap, shampoo, conditioner and wet wipes.
Evacuees with livestock can use the La Plata County Fairgrounds at 2500 Main Ave. The emergency call center at 970385-8700 can help coordinate livestock transport. Small animals are being accepted at the La Plata County Humane Society, 1111 S. Camino del Rio.