No major wildfire growth overnight
Colorado’s four wildfires continue to burn more than 175,000 acres across the state, as crews deal with high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds.
None of the fires had major overnight growth, with containment rising and crews focusing on protecting homes and lives.
The Pine Gulch fire shrank slightly overnight Wednesday, to 122,550 acres or 190 square miles, as crews were able to better assess its size, fire officials said Thursday morning.
The wildfire burning outside Grand Junction is at 17% containment.
The western side of the fire remains most active, said Pat Seekins, operations sections chief, in a Facebook briefing. That section of fire threw up a large plume of smoke Thursday.
On the west side, firefighters are concentrating on establishing a containment line along Colorado 139, using resources and the roadway as a stopping point to prevent the fire’s westward march, Seekins said.
Red flag conditions were expected Thursday afternoon, with the potential for lightning and winds up to 45 mph, officials said. Crews are expected to continue their progress on the southern end of the fire as well.
Douglas Pass, which closed Wednesday afternoon as the fire crept closer, remains shuttered.
Pine Gulch is the second-largest wildfire in Colorado’s recorded history, behind only the 2002 Hayman fire (137,760 acres).
The Grizzly Creek fire grew minimally overnight Wednesday, increasing to 29,732 acres from 29,000 acres — or 46 square miles, fire officials said Thursday morning in a news release. Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation said they hope to reopen Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon in a matter of days.
The highway has been shut down in both directions from Glenwood Springs to Gypsum since Aug. 10 because of the Grizzly Creek fire. It’s the longest closure of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in the highway’s history.
Crews near Glenwood Springs were busy Wednesday as a new fire, the Red Canyon fire, erupted nearby, triggering brief evacuations for some residents in southwest Garfield County. The fire was held to approximately 60 acres, and all evacuations were lifted Wednesday night.
Wednesday brought some precipitation with lightning, with the fire moving toward the top of the drainage near No Name Creek and remained active along the east edge of Grizzly Creek, officials said.
The fire has begun to reach the tops of the drainages in the northeast, where firefighters can engage with it actively, officials said.
The Cameron Peak fire grew to 16,461 acres overnight Wednesday, or nearly 26 square miles, and remains 0% contained, fire officials said in a Thursday news release.
On Thursday skies were cloudy over the fire zone, but there was no rain, fire officials said. Firefighters are concerned about upcoming weekend weather, the forecast calls for sunny skies, high temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity in the mid- to low teens.
A portion of the Roosevelt National Forest will be closed because of the fire, the forest service announced Thursday. Numerous recreation sites, including trails, trailheads and Forest Service Roads are closed for safety reasons. Boating and fishing sites also are closed, including Chambers Lake, Indian Meadows and Creedmore Lake. Picnic sites closed include Bellaire Lake, Bennett Creek, Cameron Pass, Chambers Lake, Fish Creek and Tunnel.
Colorado 14 remains closed from Rustic to Gould.
The Williams Fork fire grew by 2,731 acres Wednesday, and has burned 9,457 acres — nearly 15 square miles — in Grand County.
Cloud cover over the fire on Thursday calmed the blaze, said Mike Johnston, deputy sections operation chief, during a Facebook briefing.
“It did not make any big runs. It was just slowly creeping” on Thursday, Johnston said of the fire.
A spot fire did flare on the south side along Williams Fork, and firefighters battled that new burn area. Scouting continued Thursday north of the fire, where firefighters are planning a containment line to prevent the fire from a long run northward.
The wildfire remains 3% contained on its northwest flank, holding west of the Williams Fork River. Importantly, the fire did not grow toward Fraser and Winter Park, remaining 7 miles from the towns, officials said.