WILDFIRE ROUNDUP: Creede now threatened by West Fork fire; blaze grows to 60,000 acres
DEL NORTE – A massive wildfire threatening a tourist region in southwestern Colorado has grown to nearly 60,000 acres, but officials said Saturday that the erratic blaze had slowed and they were optimistic they could protect the town of South Fork.
The West Fork Complex fire’s rapid advance prompted more than 400 evacuations Friday, and it could be days before people are allowed back into their homes, cabins and RV parks, fire crew spokeswoman Laura McConnell said. South Fork Mayor Kenneth Brooke estimated that up to 1,500 of the town’s permanent residents and summer visitors were evacuated.
Some business owners were being allowed back into South Fork to prepare for the lifting of the evacuations.
Officials, meanwhile, closely monitored an arm of the blaze moving toward the neighboring town of Creede.
“We were very, very lucky,” said Rio Grande County Commissioner Carla Shriver. “We got a free pass yesterday.”
McConnell said no structures had been lost and the fire was still about 5 miles from the town.
The blaze had been fueled by dry, hot, windy weather and a stand of dead trees, killed by a beetle infestation. But the fire’s spread had slowed by Saturday morning after the flames hit a healthy section of forest. Fire crews remained alert as more hot, dry and windy weather was forecast.
The wildfire, a complex of three blazes, remains a danger, officials said.
“The fire is very unpredictable,” Shriver told evacuees at Del Norte High School, east of the fire. “They are saying they haven’t quite seen one like this in years. There is so much fuel up there.”
Smoke permeated the air Saturday in Del Norte, where a Red Cross shelter was set up for evacuees. Anticipating the mandatory South Fork evacuation would last for days, the Red Cross promised more supplies and portable showers.
Ralph and Leilani Harden of Victoria, Texas, spend summers in South Fork.
“We jumped out of the South Texas hot box into the Colorado frying pan,” Ralph Harden said.
Bob and Sherry Mason bought the Wolf Creek Ski Lodge on the Western Edge of South Fork about a year and a half ago.
“This (wildfire) was in our contingency plan being Colorado, but we didn’t expect it this soon,” Sherry Mason said.
New fire crews, meanwhile, descended from other areas to join more than 32 fire engines stationed around South Fork, with hoses and tankers at the ready. Firefighters also worked to move potential fuel, such as lawn furniture, propane tanks and wood piles, away from homes and buildings.
The town of Creede’s 300 residents were under voluntary evacuation orders as officials feared the fire could reach the roads leading out of town.
The heavy black smoke, broken up only by an orange glow over the outlines of the San Juan mountains, had lightened Saturday morning. It had been so thick that the shade from the smoke plume helped keep an 18-square-mile wildfire burning 100 miles to the east near Walsenburg from spreading as fast as it would have otherwise.
Susan Valente, an on-site spokeswoman for the fire near Walsenburg, said the shade helped keep the forest from drying out in the hot afternoon sun. Residents from 300 homes remain evacuated while in the city of Walsenburg and the town of Aguilar remain on pre-evacuation notice, meaning residents must be ready to flee at a moment’s notice.
“Fire conditions are prime with the combination of fuels, heat, winds and low humidity,” fire information officer Mike Stearly of the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, “It’s expected to be like this through next Tuesday.”
There are 12 wildfires burning in Colorado that have scorched 133 square miles.
Here is the status of fires elsewhere in the state
Lime Gulch fire
Fire managers say a 511-acre wildfire in the foothills west of Denver is 90 percent contained, as of *:30 p.m. Saturday. All pre-evacuations have been canceled, according to a statement released by spokesman Chad Teller.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s officials have said the fire was believed to have been sparked by lightning sometime Tuesday. It grew rapidly in high winds Wednesday, prompting evacuations of about 100 people. About 358 firefighters are battling the blaze.
Wild Rose fire
The fire about 20 miles south of Rangely in northwest Colorado remains at 10 percent containment as of Saturday morning, and not 50 percent as erroneously reported earlier by the national fire Incident Information System. The lightning-caused fire started early Wednesday and has burned 1,065 acres.
About 46 structures are considered threatened, and there has been one minor injury, a cut finger.
The nearby 160-acre Collins fire southwest of Meeker is being handled by the same fire team. More resources have been ordered.
Bull Gulch fire
The 76-acre fire about nine miles northeast of Cotapaxi in Fremont County was at 80 percent contained on Saturday evening, fire managers said.
On Saturday, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office cancelled the pre-evacuation status for residents near the fire north of Texas Creek.
Fire crews have begun mop-up operations, and the fire is producing minimal smoke.
No structures have been lost; about 30 residences near Snow Drift Lane remain on pre-evacuation status.
The Texas Creek Trail system is now open again.
The fire started Wednesday afternoon; the cause is under investigation.
Brush Creek fire
The 450-acre fire is burning 12 miles north of Rifle in northwest Colorado. The lightning-caused fire started Thursday afternoon. No structures are threatened.
The national fire Incident Information System reported Saturday morning that 120 people are working this fire, as well as air support. Additional hand crews have been ordered.
Weather will make fire fighting difficult over the weekend, with wind and high temperatures in the forecast.
Rifle Gap remains partially closed to boating due to the helicopter activity.
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek stands at a checkpoint as fire crews pass Saturday, June 22, 2013, on the outskirts of South Fork, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
A smoke filtered sun sets over the scar of the Waldo Canyon Fire and the Flying W Ranch Thursday, June 20, 2013. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, people attend a town meeting in South Fork, Colo. A massive wildfire was headed toward aSouth Fork on Friday, and fire managers rate the chances of saving it as slim if the fire continues its course. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfires fires approach the town of South Fork, Colo. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfires fires approach the town of South Fork, Colo. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek stands at a checkpoint as fire crews pass Saturday, June 22, 2013, on the outskirts of South Fork, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Firefighter Cole Ingram, of the San Juan Hotshots based in Durango, Colo, walks with a chainsaw as his crew clears brush from around structures Saturday, June 22, 2013, in South Fork, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Firefighters from the San Juan Hotshots based in Durango, Colo, clear brush from around structures Saturday, June 22, 2013, in South Fork, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses at the ready stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Firefighters from the San Juan Hotshots based in Durango, Colo, clear brush from around structures Saturday, June 22, 2013, in South Fork, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Smoke fills the sky as dawn breaks over a mountain range near South Fork, Colo Saturday, June 22, 2013. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek, left, speaks to a South Fork, Colo., resident who did not give his name at a checkpoint Saturday, June 22, 2013, on the outskirts of South Fork. Fire crews with tankers and hoses at the ready stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Two horses graze on a ridge as smoke from area fires fills the sky Saturday, June 22, 2013, near Monte Vista, Colo. Fire crews with tankers and hoses at the ready stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Flames are visible at the base of the East Spanish Peak Thursday, June 20, 2013 in La Veta, Colo. Firefighters attacked dozens of blazes in Western states where hot and windy conditions persisted Thursday, including two blazes that forced hundreds of people out of their homes in Colorado. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Bryan Kelsen)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, people attend a town meeting in South Fork, Colo. A massive wildfire was headed toward aSouth Fork on Friday, and fire managers rate the chances of saving it as slim if the fire continues its course. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
The smoke plume from the East Peak fire billows up behind a home on County Road 360, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in La Veta, Colo. Firefighters attacked dozens of blazes in Western states where hot and windy conditions persisted Thursday, including two blazes that forced hundreds of people out of their homes in Colorado. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Bryan Kelsen)
A bird soars past the steeple of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Pueblo Colo. on June 19, 2013 as the sun shines through the smoke-filled sky darkened by smoke from several wildfires in southern Colorado this week. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, John Jaques)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfires fires approach the town of South Fork, Colo. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
Smoke fills the sky from the West Fork Fire in South Fork, Colo. on Thursday, June 20. 2013. Colorado Highway 160 through the area has been closed and evacuations ordered of the small town at the bottom of Wolf Creek Pass. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Matt Hildner)
Shawn Detray looks out over the East Peak fire Thursday, June 20 2013 on Huajatolla Blvd south of La Veta, Colo. Detray’s father is with the La Veta Fire Dept., battling the fires. “I just get worried about him, when he leaves,” Detray said. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Whitney Hayward)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfires fires approach the town of South Fork, Colo. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, wildfires fires approach the town of South Fork, Colo. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo provided by the U.S. Forest Service, people attend a town meeting in South Fork, Colo. A massive wildfire was headed toward aSouth Fork on Friday, and fire managers rate the chances of saving it as slim if the fire continues its course. The town of about 400 people was evacuated Friday morning, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/U.S. Forest Service, Penny Bertram)
Smoke from the West Fork Fire surrounds drivers on Colorado 149 near South Fork, Colo. Thursday, June 20, 2013. The highway was later closed and mandatory evacuation orders issued for the nearby town of South Fork. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Matt Hildner)
A massive smoke plume rises over the landscape as the West Fork Fire roars to the edge of South Fork, Colo. Friday, June 21, 2013 forcing the evacuation of roughly 400 residents and sending smoke across much of Southern Colorado. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Matt Hildner)
A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck in South Fork, Colo., as he monitors a wildfire that burns west of town on Friday evening June 21, 2013. The town was evacuated and U.S. 160 that passes through it was closed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
The smoke in the sky over a ranch near South Fork, Colo., glows red from a wildfire that is threatening the town on Friday, June 21, 2013. South Fork was evacuated Friday as the fire approaches from the west. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
The East Peak fire burns in the afternoon, Friday, June 21, 2013 from a hill east of downtown Walsenburg, Colo. The fire has burned more than 9,000 acres, and the people of Walsenburg, on pre-evacuation, continue to watch the fire’s behavior. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Whitney Hayward)
Cattle rancher, Donald Andreatta, shows his concern as he talks with East Peak fire public information officer, Amy Daniels, Friday afternoon June 21, 2013 south of La Veta, Colo. Andreatta has a cattle ranch in the area near the fire which started Wednesday night and has burned more than 9,000 acres. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Bryan Kelsen)
Firefighters stage in a residential area in South Fork, Colo., as they monitor a wildfire that burns west of town on Friday evening June 21, 2013. The town was evacuated and U.S. 160 that passes through it was closed. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
A DC-10 tanker follows a guide plane and drops a load of flame retardant on a hillside just north of the fire lines at the East Peak Fire Friday afternoon June 21, 2013 near La Veta, Colo. The fire continues to grow as firefighters work to control it from the air and on the ground. (AP Photo/The Pueblo Chieftain, Bryan Kelsen)
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek, left, speaks to a South Fork, Colo., resident who did not give his name at a checkpoint Saturday, June 22, 2013, on the outskirts of South Fork. Fire crews with tankers and hoses at the ready stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Smoke fills the sky as dawn breaks over a mountain range near South Fork, Colo Saturday, June 22, 2013. Fire crews with tankers and hoses stood guard Friday night as a massive and fast-burning wildfire threatened a popular mountain tourist enclave in southwestern Colorado, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 people. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Wildfire smoke blankets a ridge Sunday, June 23, 2013, near Alpine, Colo. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek talks to a motorist at a checkpoint near South Fork, Colo., Sunday, June 23, 2013. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
A horse grazes as smoke rises from a wildfire on Sunday, June 23, 2013, near Alpine, Colo. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The sun sets through wildfire smoke Sunday, June 23, 2013, near Monte Vista, Colo. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The sun sets through wildfire smoke Sunday, June 23, 2013, near Monte Vista, Colo. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Wildfire smoke plumes above Del Norte Peak on Sunday, June 23, 2013, in near Del Norte, Colo. A wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Colorado State Patrol officer Jessie Bartunek talks to a motorist as he stands at a checkpoint near South Fork, Colo., Sunday, June 23, 2013. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Wildfire smoke plumes above Del Norte Peak on Sunday, June 23, 2013, in near Del Norte, Colo. A large wildfire near a popular summer retreat in southern Colorado continues to be driven by winds and fueled by dead trees in a drought-stricken area, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)