Firefighters made more progress on the Aspen Acres fire, the largest wildfire currently burning in Colorado, increasing containment to 48%, but crews are still working to prevent the fire from advancing toward the communities of Rye and San Isabel.
Containment increased from 35% on Thursday, largely because of gains on the fire’s northern flank after “weeks of hard work” by crews on the ground and in the air, according to a Friday morning update from Northern Rockies Incident Management Team No. 6.
Crews are patrolling for hot spots along the northeastern and southeastern edges of the fire and are beginning rehabilitation work, including repairing fences and restoring areas affected by firefighting operations.
The fire’s southwestern flank remains the top priority. Aircraft supported ground crews Thursday as they worked to keep the fire from spreading toward the small communities of Rye and San Isabel, despite windy conditions and rising temperatures that fueled fire activity, officials said.
Firefighters are also building defensive lines near Saint Charles Peak on the western side of the fire. Fire behavior calmed Thursday and crews did not observe any spot fires crossing containment lines. Heavy equipment is clearing vegetation along Forest Roads 360 and 369, while drones are being used to detect potential hot spots that could reignite across the fire area.
Officials expect fire activity to increase again Friday as temperatures climb and afternoon winds strengthen. Although scattered showers moved through the area overnight, no measurable rain fell on the fire.
The fire in Pueblo and Custer counties remained at 99,820 acres Friday morning.
The National Interagency Fire Center map shows wildfires burning in Colorado.
Gold Mountain fire
Thunderstorms remain a double-edged sword for firefighters battling the Gold Mountain fire in steep, rugged terrain northeast of Ouray.
Storms are expected from midafternoon through Friday evening, Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 said. While they may bring much-needed rain, erratic winds could increase fire activity and push flames in unpredictable directions.
Sudden downpours over burned areas can also trigger debris flows or send boulders and trees tumbling downhill without warning. Lightning from the storms could spark new fires as well.
While staying aware of the weather hazards, crews continue building fire lines at a safe distance from the fire’s edge with dozers from the High Mesa area to the east side of Silver Jack Reservoir, fire officials said in an update. Helicopters are transporting portable water tanks to areas with limited water supplies for structure protection, while water tenders are filling the tanks.
Firefighters are assessing a spot fire in the Middle Fork drainage south of the reservoir and working to keep flames away from homes east of the reservoir, according to fire officials. Fire activity in the Uncompahgre Wilderness remains light as it encounters rock outcroppings and other natural barriers, with aircraft monitoring the area.
Along the U.S. 550 corridor, containment lines are holding, contributing to increased overall containment of the fire.
The fire is 37,734 acres and 13% contained as of Friday morning.
Ferris fire
Dolores County Sheriff Don Wilson said firefighters battling the Ferris fire are transitioning from active suppression to repair work as containment has reached 53%.
“Thank goodness it has gotten to a point where now they can switch to a different mode … get everything back to normal,” Wilson said during a community meeting in Dove Creek Thursday night. “What is normal now? I have no clue.”
While there’s more work to do, some aircraft, crews and heavy machinery are being released from the Ferris fire and reassigned to other wildfires, officials said.
While flames didn’t reach neighboring Montezuma County, Sheriff Steve Nowlin said the fire response reflected a spirit of neighbors helping neighbors.
“We didn’t lose a home, we didn’t lose a life. You know what? That’s a win,” Nowlin said. “Because there are other communities in this state that are not so fortunate. But we are here, thank goodness.”
He added he was not sure if any livestock were lost in the fire.
“I just wanted you all to know that you were never alone,” he said. “We were always ready to jump in and do whatever we needed to do to help the Dolores County sheriff, the firefighters, the community as a whole.”
Suppression efforts will continue on the northern flank, which is the hottest part of the fire, but it has remained steady over the past several days, said Tom Himmelrich, operations section chief with California Team 7.
The fire burned with different intensities, Himmelrich said, pointing out areas on a map of unburned swaths of land inside the fire’s perimeter.
“Some of it burned very hot and there’s not really anything left,” he said. “A lot of it didn’t burn that hot, there was backing fire in different weather conditions, so the forest canopy is still there, a lot of the brush could still be there.
“So when we see a big 60,000-acre burn here, not all of it is ash on the ground.”
Monsoonal rains have also helped firefighting efforts.
“One week ago today, we were looking at very different weather conditions,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service incident meteorologist assigned to the fire.
“The monsoon is definitely here,” she said. “We’ve been seeing thunderstorms and rain across the area the last several days, and we are expecting that to continue in the future.”
Willow fire
The Willow fire burning near Leadville grew slightly — now at 6,877 acres — as firefighters battle flames devouring critically dry fuels.
The fire continues to burn inside containment lines as crews work to strengthen those lines, fire officials with the U.S. Pike and San Isabel national forests said. The fire was 36% contained.
On the southwestern flank, the fire moved into higher elevations where fuels are scattered, sometimes pushed by the wind.
“This recent minimal precipitation has done little to mitigate the issue,” officials wrote in a Friday morning update. “Firefighters will continue to use full suppression tactics.”
Fishhook fire
Moisture is moving into the area over the Fishhook fire in Routt County and could bring a chance of thunderstorms through the weekend, according to the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1, which took command of the fire Friday.
The fire, burning north of Rabbit Ears Pass, is 347 acres and 0% contained.
Winds forecast for Friday and Saturday could push the fire into unburned fuels, with the highest risk on the northern side of the fire, officials said. Embers could be carried up to a quarter of a mile from the main fire and start a new fire.
Elk fire
Fire activity on the Elk fire, burning in the Uncompahgre Wilderness north of Lake City, was low Thursday, thanks to increased moisture in the air, the Northwest 8 Complex Incident Management Team said in a Friday morning update. The team took command of the fire on Thursday night.
The lightning-caused fire was most active on the southeastern side in Independence Gulch within beetle-killed timber, officials said. The fire is slowly spreading through grass, brush and heavy fuels.
Helicopters dropped water along the fire’s edge to slow its progression and will continue to monitor for any new fires that start in the area.
Colorado 149 remains open, as of Friday morning. Crews continue to work to protect structures in the area.
The fire is estimated at 2,199 acres and 0% contained.
This is a developing story that will be updated.