Saturday roundup of wildfires burning outside Grand County
Courtesy Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
Three major wildfires are burning in Colorado outside Grand County. See the most recent updates on each one below.
Cameron Peak Fire — Chambers Lake
23,007 acres
The fire saw minimal activity Friday with the area receiving 0.25 inches of rain, helping to moderate fire activity. Crews finished structure assessments and personnel continue to prep the hand line and dozer line north of Deadman Road.
Weather is expected to bring more widespread showers and thunderstorms, similar to Friday. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 70s with humidity at about 30%, helping to keep fire behavior minimal. Conditions are expected to change Sunday with higher winds.
Grizzly Creek Fire — Glenwood Canyon
32,448 acres, 71% contained
The Alaska Incident Management Team met with local agency administrators on Friday to discuss long-term management strategies and objectives. Keeping Interstate 70 open remains an ongoing priority, as well as restoring access to public lands and roads.
Crew continue to strengthen control lines. Saturday’s cold front is expected to bring gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Motorists should expect delays for utility work and firefighting operations, along with possible closures due to debris flow following rain.
Pine Gulch Fire — Grand Junction
139,006 acres (largest wildfire in Colorado history), 77% contained
Saturday is the last day the Rocky Mountain Type 1 incident management team will be in command of the Pine Gulch Fire, with the Southern Area Type 1 Red Team assuming command 6 a.m. Sunday.
Suppression repair is now the main activity for the fire with resource advisors helping to direct efforts to repair dozer lines and minimize damage to resources impacted by fire suppression activities.
While fire activity has decreased significantly, unburned fuels in the interior may burn and smolder for quite some time. It will take a season ending event such as sustained rainfall or even snow for the fire to be completely “out.” This may not be until mid-September, October or as late as November.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
The Sky-Hi News strives to deliver powerful stories that spark emotion and focus on the place we live.
Over the past year, contributions from readers like you helped to fund some of our most important reporting, including coverage of the East Troublesome Fire.
If you value local journalism, consider making a contribution to our newsroom in support of the work we do.
