Progress dependent on weather
AS WINDS DIE DOWN, TEMPS INCREASE AT WEST FORK FIRE
High winds kept firefighters in southwestern Colorado in a defensive postureMonday, but officials are optimistic that decreasing winds will aid efforts on Tuesday andWednesday in their battle against theWest Fork Complex fire.
The fire, a combination of three wildfires— West Fork, Windy Pass and Papoose— has burned about 75,150 acres about 14 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs.
For most of the day, the area was under a red flag warning from the NationalWeather Service. The fire warning was prompted by gusty winds up to 55 mph in the fire area, low humidities and extremely dry fuels.
Officials saidMonday evening that the winds had severely limited air support throughout the day, but structures had been lost.
The massive fire, which is threatening the town of South Fork, is burning through steep terrain with heavy timber, including wide areas of dead, standing beetle-kill spruce trees.
“This is a significant fire, with significant problems,” said Pete Blume, West Fork Complex incident commander. “You will not see significant gains until we get some help from the weather.”
And, although winds are expected to die down on Tuesday, the temperature is likely to go up.
The cost of fighting the fire is $2.2 million as ofMonday.
On Sunday, the fire had some growth to the north and the east, fueled by winds out of the southwest, and it also burned acreage within the perimeter.
Fire command had 895 people working on the fireMonday, with 50 engines, 10 water tenders and nine helicopters.
Command expected to use four or five heavy air tankers, along with three single-engine air tankers Monday.
There is no containment of the fire, but firefighters worked to establish a 2-mile bulldozer line Sunday above South Fork.
“We are very encouraged with those efforts,” Blume said.
Blume described the dozer line as the “beginning” of a control line, something firefighters hoped to “anchor” onMonday.
“Every day it doesn’t run at South Fork is a good thing,” Blume said. “I have to say, things are looking better but by no means secure.”
There are no current plans to allow residents who are evacuated back into their homes.
Power had been disrupted in the area by the fire.
The San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative reminded residents to thoroughly cook any refrigerated or frozen foods to the proper tempera- ture to assure that any food-borne bacteria is destroyed.
The fire likely will burn for months, Blume told The Associated Press. And crews are not expecting to make any real gains against the 117-square-mile burn until the summer monsoon season brings cooler temperatures and rains, hopefully in early July.
The blaze started June 5 with a lighting strike in a rugged, remote area of the San JuanMountains, west of the Continental Divide. A second lightning strike sparked a fire east of the Divide. The two then joined, making a fast run Thursday and Friday at popular tourist areas, including South Fork and theWolf Creek Ski Area.
A third lightning strike, meantime, sparked another fire to the west, creating what is now called theWest Fork complex.
Crews in Colorado also are being challenged by the high altitude, which adds to the danger and complexity of launching air assaults in smoke and high winds, said Larry Trapp, a branch director of air operations with RockyMountain Type 1 Incident Command working the east side of the Continental Divide.
Among the air resources on the way, he said, is a helicopter with infrared technology that can fly through the smoke to map power lines above the tree line.
About a dozen fires burned elsewhere in Colorado, including the nearly 21-square-mile East Peak wildfire near the southern Colorado town ofWalsenburg that was 50 percent contained.