Update 07/23/2018
Weston Pass Fire is still at 93% containment. The other 7% is in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, (BPW). The BPW part of the fire is now being handled with confinement suppression strategies. This includes bucket drops, firefighters working directly on hotspots, using topographic features, and weather. This decision was made by fire managers to limit the exposure and risk to firefighters and because the scattered hotspots make it impossible to draw a containment line. Residents can expect to see interior smoke all summer. Firefighters will continue patrolling the area.
Update 07/15/2018
Members of the local Burned Area Emergency Response Team (BAER) are beginning their work on the Weston Pass Fire. “The objective of the BAER team is to determine the need for and prescribe and implement emergency treatments on Federal Land to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire or to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources.” See Watershed – WFW – Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air & Rare Plants – USDA Forest Service for more information.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy throughout the day with the possibility of rain around noon. Later, isolated showers and thunderstorms may develop and linger until 10:00 PM. Temperatures will range from lows of 48°-53° F to highs of 69°-74° F. Humidity will reach lows of 31%-36% during the day recovering to 67%-73% at night. Winds will be from the northeast 7-11 mph with gusts to 16 mph possible during the afternoon and evening.
Current Situation
Today’s clouds, lower temperatures and higher humidity will slow fire behavior. The primary sources of remaining heat on the fire are heavy surface fuels and stump holes. Visible smokes from within the interior of the fire are expected for weeks until significant wetting rain penetrates the heavy fuels. Fire personnel will continue monitoring fire behavior with lookouts and aircraft.
The engines in divisions A/D/M/P will continue to secure and patrol fireline along the north, east and south. The Hotshot crew will continue to work hotspots directly and by coordinating helicopter bucket drops in and near the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness (BPW) area (Divisions T/P). Fire management is constantly weighing the risk to firefighters versus the benefit of engagement. Some of the interior smokes are allowed to burn because of the risk to firefighters and there is no indication they would penetrate the fire perimeter.
Closures and Public Safety
Closures remain in effect in the Pike National Forest including the lands south of CR22, north of Trout Creek Pass, the entire BPW, and west of HWY 285. Please visit Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands – Home for more information. All mandatory evacuations are lifted. CR22 [Black Mountain area] and CORA are on pre-evacuation status. Visit Park County, CO | Official Website
for up to date information. The speed limit on Highway 285 is posted at 50 mph; there is no stopping in the fire area. Please be cautious as fire apparatus and crew buggies are entering the highway.
Fire Statistics:
Location: 9 miles south of Fairplay, CO Percent Contained: 93%
Start Date: June 28, 2018 Total Personnel: Approximately 64
Size: 13,023 acres Cause: Lightning
Resources Include: One Type 1 crew, Four engines, One masticator
Helicopters: One Type 1, One Type 3
Weston Pass Fire Information
719-966-7842
Call Center Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM
E-mail: 2018_copsf_westonpass@firenet.gov
Update 07/12/2018
Weather
The humidity in the fire area reached a low of 11% yesterday. Today will be mostly sunny in the morning followed by mostly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms with small hail after 11:00 AM. High temperatures will range from 68°-74° with minimum low humidity of 30-36%. Winds out of the north-northeast 6-11 mph with gusts to 16 mph. Winds near thunderstorms will be gusty and erratic, with gusts up to 30 mph. Tonight will bring minimum temperatures of 47°-52°, a relative humidity of 75-80% and a 20% chance of wetting rain.
Current Situation
Fire behavior will be very limited today. The primary source of remaining heat on the fire will be heavy surface fuels and woody debris. The possibility of visible smokes from within the interior of the fire will continue. Fire personnel will continue monitoring fire behavior with lookouts and aircraft. As our objectives near completion, fire personnel and equipment are gradually being released.
Yesterday, on the north side firefighters worked some heat found in the interior. Firefighters continue to patrol the fireline. Crews will secure and hold the perimeter on the east side along HWY 285. Rehab continues along the dozer lines. Division P will secure fire perimeter from FS 168 west to Buffalo Peaks Wilderness (BPW) boundary. Hotshot crews continue to work hotspots directly and by coordinating helicopter bucket drops in and near the BPW. Contingency lines and structure protection on the south of the fire are complete; Division T is unstaffed today. Crews are constructing contingency line from DP 55 west to the Lynch Creek Trailhead. Hotshot crews will hold and secure fireline from FS 433 to the BPW. Firefighters are using the chippers to eliminate fuels along the line in Division Z. The dozer line between Division A and Z will be patrolled to determine possible containment. Structure Protection will be removing hoselays, pumps and pumpkins to back haul all fire fighting equipment. Campground of the Rockies (CORA) will be returned to pre-fire status.
Closures and Public Safety
Closures remain in effect in the Pike National Forest including the lands south of CR22, north of Trout Creek Pass, the entire BPW, and west of HWY 285. Please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/psicc for more information. CR 22 is open to the public. All mandatory evacuations are lifted. CR22 [Black Mountain area] and CORA are on pre-evacuation status. Visit http://www.parkco.us for up to date information. The speed limit on Highway 285 is posted at 50 mph; there is no stopping in the fire area.
Fire Statistics:
Location: 9 miles south of Fairplay, CO Percent Contained: 74%
Start Date: June 28, 2018 Total Personnel: Approximately 497
Size: 13,023 acres Cause: Lightning
Resources Include: Three Type 1 hand crews, 7 Type 2 hand crews, 16 engines, one masticator, 2 dozers
Helicopters: Four Type 1, two Type 3 and two fixed wing aircraft
Weston Pass Fire Information
719-966-7842
Call Center Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM
E-mail: 2018_copsf_westonpass@firenet.gov
Incident Information: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5876/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/westonpassfire/
Update 07/08/2018
Current acreage is 13,019; containment on the fire has increased to 34%.
Weather
The ridge of high pressure remains over Western Colorado but will begin to shift to the east tonight. This ridge will keep temperatures up and humidity down. Today will be mostly sunny until noon, then mostly cloudy in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for isolated showers and thunderstorms developing around 1:00 PM with 0% chance of wetting rain. Wetting rain is widespread rain that over an extended period significantly reduces fire danger. Temperatures will be in the high 70s with winds out of the ESE 5-10 mph with gusts to 15 mph. Winds near thunderstorms will be gusty and erratic, with gusts up to 30 mph. This weather will increase the likelihood over the next few days of seeing smoke from unburned fuels igniting within the perimeter of the burn area.
Current Situation
Due to the effective work of the firefighters accomplishing objectives, Divisions A and D have been combined. North of the fire, crews will patrol and improve line along the fire edge and along the contingency line north from Rough and Tumble Creek, and west to CR 22. Surface improvements to CR 22 will be completed early next week. To the east firefighters will patrol line to secure and hold the perimeter. The structure protection equipment (pumps, hose, sprinklers and pumpkins) will remain in place in the Campground of the Rockies Association until fire managers determine no threat exists. Along the fire’s south edge, dozers constructed line to the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness boundary and completed contingency line along FS 435 to North Salt Creek Trailhead. Today, they will mop up and secure this line. Crews will complete chipping brush and limbs that were removed to improve the contingency line in Division T. The Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area and the direct fire line in Division P will receive water drops from helicopters to cool the fire line. Today a “gel” plant is being set up to assist fire suppression in and near the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area. Gel is mixed with water and applied directly to the fire edge by helicopters. It makes water more effective and holds longer than plain water.
Information Briefing
Public Information Officers will conduct daily briefings at 2:00 PM outside at Prather’s Grocery Store, 301 US Hwy 285, Fairplay and at 3:00 PM outside at Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, 343 US 24, Buena Vista.
Closures and Public Safety
The Park Co Sheriff and CDOT have opened US Highway 285 to all traffic as of 8:00 AM yesterday. The speed limit is posted at 50 mph and there is no stopping in the fire area. Visit http://www.parkco.us for up to date information. Evacuations in the CR 22 and CORA area remain in place. Evacuation status may change and evolve. For up to date information, please visit http://www.parkco.us. Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area is closed until further notice.
Fire Statistics
Location: 9 miles south of Fairplay, CO Percent Contained: 34%
Start Date: June 28, 2018 Total Personnel: Approximately 578
Size: 13,019 acres Cause: Lightning
Resources Include: Three Type 1 hand crews, 10 Type 2 hand crews, 20 engines, one masticator, 2 dozers
Helicopters: Four Type 1, two Type 3 and two fixed wing aircraft
Weston Pass Fire Information
719-966-7842
Call Center Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM
E-mail: 2018_copsf_westonpass@firenet.gov
Incident Information: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5876/
Social Media: www.facebook.com/westonpassfire/
Update: 07/06/2018
Currently 12,902 acres and 17% contained. The fire moved into the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area yesterday which is now closed to public entry. #westonpassfire
Weather
Spotty moisture from yesterday and higher humidity (90-97%) last night may result in reduced fire activity today. Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) reported .17” and crews had to pull vehicles back to hard surface roads during the rain. The inversion is expected to lift around 10 AM. Temperatures will be in the mid 70s with relative humidity of 27-32%. Clouds will move in around noon with gusty winds from the SE bringing the possibility of showers and afternoon thunderstorms.
Current Situation
After the fire breached the boundary of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, the Forest Service issued a closure for the entire Wilderness area. Yesterday, fire personnel identified primary and alternate contingency lines on the south, west and northwest sides of the fire. Today these lines will be the focus of work in these areas. Hard work by firefighters, weather and SE wind direction continue to line up a positive outlook for CORA.
Division A has identified Rough and Tumble Creek as the primary contingency line. Crews will be improving the alternate contingency line north and east to tie in with Highway 22. Crews will continue to secure and mop up along the contained line in Divisions D and M, while identifying and removing fire damaged, dangerous trees. Division P is directly fighting the fire south of FS 433 and constructing indirect/alternate contingency line from FS 433 to the wilderness boundary in order to keep the fire north of FS 435. Division T will be prepping the FS 435 road to the North Salt Creek Trailhead. Hot Shot crews are on the ground in the Wilderness area (Div Z) assessing risks and possible options for suppression. Structure Group will continue to monitor and assess structures in the vicinity of the fire. Swing shift resources will be assigned as needs present depending on weather and fire activity.
Information Briefings
Public Information Officers will conduct daily briefings at 2:00 PM outside at Prather’s Grocery Store, 301 US Hwy 285, Fairplay and at 3:00 PM outside at Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, 343 US 24, Buena Vista.
Closures and Public Safety: A closure is in place one mile south of Fairplay at the junction of US Highway 285/State Highway 9 to all traffic, except local residents or landowners. A total closure is in place from the junction of US Highway 285/County Road 22 to Antero Junction.
For up to date information visit http://www.cotrip.org. Evacuation status may change and evolve. For up to date information, please visit http://www.parkco.us.
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Area is closed until further notice.
Fire Statistics
Location: 9 miles south of Fairplay, CO Percent Contained: 17%
Start Date: June 28, 2018 Total Personnel: Approximately 591
Size: 12,902 acres Cause: Lightning
Resources Include: Three Type 1 hand crews, 10 Type 2 hand crews, 24 engines, and 2 dozers
Helicopters: Three Type 1, one Type 2, two Type 3, and two fixed wing aircraft.
Weston Pass Fire Information
719-966-7842
Call Center Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM
E-mail: 2018_copsf_westonpass@firenet.gov
Update: 07/03/2018
Download the update here – https://www.foxtailpineshoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/July-3_AM-Update_Weston-Pass.pdf
Update: 07/02/2018
Download the update here – https://www.foxtailpineshoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/July-2-18_AM-Update_Weston-Pass.docx.pdf
Update: 07/01/2018
PARK COUNTY, Colo. — A fire in central Colorado has burned 4,138 acres as of Saturday evening, according to Park County officials. The acreage estimate is more than double one released earlier Saturday. It is now 10 percent contained.
The Weston Pass Fire also forced officials to close a lengthy portion of Highway 285 Saturday afternoon. The highway is shut down in both directions between Fairplay and Antero Junction — a distance of about 25 miles. There is no estimated time of reopening.
The U.S. Forest Service has assumed command of the fire, which is about 9 miles southwest of Fairplay in the Buffalo Peaks wilderness area. There are 194 people fighting the fire, which began on Thursday morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. Authorities believe it was caused by lightning.
A mandatory evacuation was issued for people who live in the immediate vicinity of the fire south of County Road 22. Residents in the Black Mountain, Cora and Thousand Peaks subdivisions are encouraged to be prepared to leave quickly if necessary. The Fairplay Community Center and Fairgrounds are available for evacuees.
A Type 1 Incident Management Team has been ordered and will assume control of firefighting operations on Sunday. The team will also manage the High Chateau Fire in neighboring Teller County, according to the Park County Sheriff’s Office.