Colorado’s Rocky Mountains account for the majority of the 153,000 acres of National Forest System currently burning from wildfires across the nation, with the San Juan National Forest’s 416 fire claiming the largest area set ablaze in the country at more than 40,000 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center on Saturday morning.
At least a dozen wildfires are scorching the state with some forcing evacuations, consuming homes, jumping highways, closing roads and clouding communities in smoke.
The Spring Creek wildfire burning east of Fort Garland in Costilla and Huerfano counties grew more than 8,000 acres, bringing its total size to 38,136 acres as of Saturday morning, according to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.
A suspect has been arrested on charges of arson related to the fire, officials confirmed during a 1 p.m. community meeting.
The wildfire started burning Wednesday afternoon and spread rapidly with the help of dry, hot, windy weather conditions that are likely to continue Saturday. The fire has moved so swiftly that firefighters have not been able to count the number of homes and buildings destroyed, but the footprint of the fire overlays subdivisions where 350 homes have been evacuated, officials said.
As of Saturday morning, the fire remained at zero percent containment.
Firefighters focused on protecting homes and property Friday while working on the east side of the fire with bulldozers and firefighters on the ground. Air tankers and helicopters were deployed — particularly around the nearby town of La Veta — to cool the fire’s edges and slow its growth.
The Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office evacuated residents in the Cuchara Valley area as the fire moved North and East across U.S. Highway 160.
“Over the next several days, the sheriff’s office will begin to identify lost structures and ownership,” read an update from the incident management team.
Evacuees and those seeking more information on the Spring Creek Fire can attend a 1 p.m. meeting at the evacuation center at the Blanca Fort Garland Community Center, 17591 E. Highway 160.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol announced Saturday morning that they closed Colorado Highway 12 from County Road 420 at milepost seven in La Veta to the summit of Cuchara Pass at milepost 22.5 as the Spring Fire moves east. The transportation department suggested U.S. 50 west of Pueblo to U.S. 285 as a possible alternative route. South U.S. 160 remains closed from Fort Garland to La Veta. For more information on road closures, commuters should visit cotrip.org.
New evacuations were issued in Florissant on Saturday morning for a wildfire that erupted in Teller County Friday afternoon prompting deputies to scramble from home to home evacuating residents. The High Chateau fire, estimated at 427 acres with no containment, spurred the evacuations of Slater Creek Road, Eagle Crest Ranch at Slater Creek, Sunrise Ridge, Chateau West, Highland Meadows, Dome Rock Ranch, Living Forest Estates, High Chateau Ranch and Lookout Point Road.
Pre-evacuation areas for all Teller County residents stretch from Evergreen to High Chateau along Teller County Road 11; Teller County Road 1 to Highland Meadows Drive; and west of Teller County Road 1 to Teller County Road 112.
Teller County Road 11 is open to residents only, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
The 416 fire burning 13 miles north of Durango has grown to more than 47,000 acres at 37 percent containment as of Saturday morning, making it the largest Colorado wildfire burning at the moment. Fire crews aren’t expecting an easy day as gusty western winds and low humidity signal for a shift in wind direction “short term erratic fire behavior.”
Areas south of the fire like the Animas River Valley can expect greater smoke impacts as the wind shifts.
Another wildfire, the Burro fire, has been burning in Montezuma County charging through the San Juan National Forest for weeks. In the past 24 hours, officials said the fire grew 166 acres for a total of 3,839 acres.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/30/colorado-wildfires-spring-creek-high-chateau-416-fire/Bagikan Berita Ini
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