By O’Dell Isaac
The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
OHIO CITY, Colo. — As heavy winds fed the South Rim fire and other blazes in the western part of the state over the weekend, a growing wildfire in Utah threatened to cross the Colorado border, according to emergency officials Monday.
The largest of four western Colorado blazes ignited by a lightning storm last Thursday, the South Rim fire at Gunnison National Park was at 3,633 acres and 0% containment as of Monday evening. Firefighting efforts have been hampered by steep, jagged terrain that makes it difficult to get personnel and equipment where it will do the most good, according to Tim Lavin of the Upper Colorado River fire management unit.
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) questioned the federal government’s handling of the fires burning the Grand Canyon, which have spread rapidly and destroyed dozens of buildings. Two wildfires, the White Sage Fire and the Dragon Bravo Fire, are burning at or near the North Rim. “I am incredibly saddened by the destruction of the historic Grand […]
“(The terrain is) very dangerous, very steep and very rocky,” Lavin said Sunday.
The South Rim fire has caused an estimated $3.1 million in damages, according to the Fire, Weather and Avalanche Center, an agency that tracks the damage of natural disasters.
The Tuesday forecast for the Gunnison National Park area consists of a high of 78 degrees, with a 30% chance of afternoon thunderstorms. There will be consistent winds of 5-10 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.
The Wednesday forecast for the area consists of a high of 77 degrees, with a 30% chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
On Monday, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for all private properties between mile markers 124 and 128 along Highway 141 due to the Turner Gulch and nearby Wright Draw fires near Gateway, more than 50 miles southwest of Grand Junction.
The Turner Gulch fire has burned nearly 1,500 acres with no reported containment, according to the natural disaster tracker. The fire has caused an estimated $500,000 in damages as of Monday evening. The Wright Draw fire has burned under 300 acres.
The Clifton Community Campus, located at 3270 D 1/2 Road, in Clifton, is the designated evacuation center for the fires.
“Please note, this is not an overnight shelter,” Sheriff’s Office officials said in a message to residents.
“Evacuees will be assessed for needs and provided resources, such as housing, by resource navigators at this location.”
The Tuesday forecast for the area surrounding the Turner Gulch fire is scorching, with a high of 98 degrees. There is a 10% chance of afternoon thunderstorms, and winds could get as high as 15 mph, according to the weather agency.
The Wednesday forecast for the area is hot and dry, with a high of 99 degrees and a 10% chance of evening thunderstorms. Wind could get as high as 15 mph.
Crews from state agencies will soon join the hundreds of firefighters already on the ground in Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis’ office.
On Sunday, the governor made a verbal disaster declaration that will allow the state to mobilize its resources, including supplies, equipment and personnel, to assist in battling the fires. The declaration could also allow Colorado to request aid from FEMA and other federal agencies, should that become necessary.
Polis’ disaster declaration included the Deer Creek blaze in Utah, which has grown to more than 10,000 acres and could cross the border into Colorado.
South Rim emergency crews are preparing to begin structure protection work along the southwest border of the fire in an effort to keep it from affecting buildings in the Bostwick Park community, officials said Monday.
“The fire has not impacted any off the structures in that area yet,” said Tyler Nathe, operations lead. “Crews are actively engaged in preventing (the fire) from going down into that community.”
On the fire’s southeast side, firefighters and dozer operators will be working to keep the flames away from transmission lines on East Portal Road that provide power to Crystal Dam.
The west side of the Blue Mesa Reservoir will be closed to the public as aircraft begin using it for firefighting, Nathe said. Two “super scooper” aircraft arrived Monday.
The Sowbelly fire, west of Delta and Olathe, remains at more than 2,250 acres burned with 0% containment, according to fire officials. The Sowbelly fire has caused an estimated $500,000 in damages, according to the natural disaster tracker.
The forecast for the area surrounding the Sowbelly fire will be prime-spreading conditions, with a Tuesday high of 99 degrees and a Wednesday high of 100 degrees. On both days, there is a 10% chance of evening thunderstorms and wind could get as high as 15 mph.
Another small fire broke out in Douglas County on Sunday, and it took only 10 minutes for the county’s helicopter to get off the ground and begin dumping water on a spreading bushfire near Louviers.
If it weren’t for that response time, the 130-acre “Airport fire” that spread near the small town of Louviers could’ve been a lot worse, both South Metro Fire Rescue officials and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said during a Monday news conference.
“We are very fortunate this fire didn’t spread more quickly,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said, noting that 39 homes were evacuated.
The fire stretched roughly six miles, and no injuries or structural damage was reported, according to South Metro Fire Rescue Chief John Curtis.
Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday made a verbal disaster declaration for a series of wildfires burning in Montrose , Delta and Mesa counties, according to a news release.
More evacuations issued as Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park wildfire burns over 3,000 acres
Firefighters continue to battle the South Rim fire in the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park , as the blaze burned over 1,000 acres overnight, leading to evacuations for nearby neighborhoods.
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