Rainfall in the past week has helped crews with containment on several wildfires in the mountains and on the Western Slope.
COLORADO, USA — Fire crews are battling a number of blazes around Colorado. The fires are burning around the state from far northwestern Colorado to the Western Slope and in north-central Colorado.
>Video above: Here are the wildfires currently burning in Colorado.
Some of the fires got some welcome rain this past week, but fire managers said the relief might be short-lived as warmer, drier conditions are in the forecast.
To check for the latest air quality advisories, go to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s site.
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The roundup of the fires burning are below.
Sylvan Fire
Location: 16 miles south of Eagle
Cause: Suspected lightning, but still being investigated
The Sylvan Fire was reported on Sunday, June 20 about 3:15 p.m.
The fire, which is burning in lodgepole pine and other timber, grew rapidly Tuesday afternoon and evening, forcing Eagle County officials to call for evacuations for a number of areas. They are:
- Sylvan Lake State Park
- Crooked Creek Pass
- Lede Reservoir area
- Hardscrabble
- Peter Estin Hut
Pre-evacuation notices have been ordered for residents in the areas of:
- Frost Creek
- Salt Creek
- Bruce Creek
- Fulford
- Yeoman Park
- Hat Creek
On Monday afternoon, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office lifted the pre-evacuation order for the upper Frying Pan valley from the dam east to Hagerman Pass.
Rainy weather is helping crews to increase containment, the Incident Command Team said on Monday. Weather for the rest of the week should help with progress on fire line construction. A few new crews have arrived, and two more hotshot crews are expected soon.
Muddy Slide Fire
Location: 20 miles west of Kremmling
The Muddy Slide Fire was first reported on Sunday, June 20.
Scattered showers over the fire area kept fire behavior to a minimum on Saturday, according to the incident command team. Creeping and smoldering was seen in several areas within the fire perimeter, while heavy, dead fuels like logs continued to burn.
On Sunday, crews planned to continue building indirect fire lines and preparing for possible burnout operations later this week.
Mandatory and voluntary evacuation areas remained in place. Click here for a map of current evacuation notices.
Evacuated residents with livestock can take them to the Hayden Fairgrounds. People with pets can drop off their animals with the Routt County Humane Society in Steamboat Springs, but they need to call first to make sure someone is on site. The Humane Society’s number is 970-879-1090.
One outbuilding and seven mobile homes located on one individual piece of property, are destroyed. Located on a second individually owned property, one outbuilding was destroyed totaling 9 structures. One primary residence received minor damage. Property owners have been notified.
Fire managers said this is expected to be a “long duration fire.”
Oil Springs Fire
Location: 20 miles south of Rangely
County Roads 113 and 116, and BLM Road 1045 are closed due to the fire. Highway 139 is open, but the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office asked that drivers use caution because crews are using the highway to access the fire area.
Crews have rolled out hose on the northwestern flank of the fire from County Road 116 toward Texas Mountain. Firefighters are mopping up along the fire edge, using a supply from a water holding tank.
On Monday, crews planned to maintain the sprinkler system at the Dragon Trail gas plant. Helicopters remain available for fire suppression and support.
As of Friday morning, Stage 2 Fire Restrictions were put in place for Rio Blanco County.
Wild Cow Fire
Location: 38 miles north-northwest of Fruita
Cause: Lightning is suspected
The Wild Cow Fire was first reported Monday, June 21 at around 4:30 p.m.
The fire is burning in western Garfield County west of Highway 139 and just east of Baxter Pass.
Favorable weather helped crews achieve 100% containment of the fire on Monday. Suppression actions, assisted by high humidity, cloud cover, and rain showers, held the fire at 560 acres.
West Fire
Location: 80 miles northwest of Craig
The West Fire was declared 100% contained on July 1, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The fire was first reported in northwest Moffat County on Sunday, June 20 just after noon, and crossed into southwestern on June 22.
A wildland fire engine will remain at the scene for six days to continue extinguishing hotspots, but no further updates are expected.
>> Information on Colorado’s drought season
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