Colorado wildfire update: Spring Creek Fire 55 percent contained, Christine Lake Fire up to 8 percent contained

A dozen wildfires are burning in Colorado’s forests, displacing families across the state.

Some fires have been calmed by rain while others have been stoked by wind and hot temperatures. To understand what’s going on, here’s a compilation of the most prominent fires in Colorado.

SPRING CREEK FIRE

Firefighters now have the 106,985-acre fire 55 percent contained, according to fire authorities. Rocky Mountain Incident Management Commander Shane Greer said in a statement that crews have made good progress and are now focusing on completing containment, mopping up and repairing areas impacted by efforts to fight the fire.

Drier conditions are expected Sunday with a 20 percent chance of rain. Temperatures are on the rise with highs expected between 86 and 89 degrees, Greer said. Humidity is expected to be between 13 and 16 percent with winds of up to 12 mph in the afternoon and gusts of up to 17 mph.

The fire, which was human-caused, started June 27 and is burning in Costilla and Huerfano counties.

The Colorado Department of Transportation reopened US 160 Saturday at about 4:30 p.m. between CO 159 in Fort Garland and CO 12 near La Veta, allowing people to re-enter the Tres Valles area.

US 160: Road open between CO 159 (Fort Garland) and CO 12 (1m E of La Veta). Road has reopened

— CDOT (@ColoradoDOT) July 7, 2018

Greer said smoke and possibly some flames will be visible within the fire perimeter for the next couple of days.

416 FIRE

The 54,129-acre fire north of Durango is 50 percent contained as of Saturday night, according to fire officials. Fire crews were scheduled to patrol and conduct suppression repair efforts on Sunday.

Rain and humidity have helped keep fire activity relatively minimal. Another round of showers is expected Sunday afternoon and early evening, with a potential accumulation of .1 to .25 inches, according to fire officials. A flash flood watch is in effect.

CHRISTINE LAKE FIRE

The 5,916-acre fire is only 8 percent contained and has 555 crewmembers tackling it, according to fire officials. Humidity ranging between 11 to 20 percent and temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s have caused isolated flare ups. Showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon dropped .1 inches of rain in El Jebel and lighter amounts of the southeastern portion of the fire.

The fire is located about a mile northwest of Basalt and was started Tuesday by two people firing tracers at a firing range near Christine Lake.Three houses have been destroyed. It is a high-priority fire because the Roaring Fork Valley is a heavily populated area.

Sunday could see additional afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms, according to fire officials. Thunderstorms have the potential to produce lightning and outflow winds. Little growth is expected Sunday.

WESTON PASS FIRE

The 13,019-acre fire was 34 percent containment as of Sunday morning, according to fire officials. Winds are expected to shift from west to northeast by late morning. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible. Air resources will be working hotspots around the southwest area of the fire.

There are 578 people fighting the fire, which was started by lightning on June 28.

Although rain moderated the fire Thursday, officials are concerned that there will be an increase in behavior over the next few days because of continued warm and dry conditions mixed with atmospheric instability.

CR 22 is closed to traffic. The Pike and San Isabel National Forests are closed because of the fire. The entire Buffalo Peaks Wilderness and ancillary trails are closed.

Wildfires in the U.S.

The map shows active fire locations and all 2018 fire perimeters (not all fires have perimeter data, zoom in to see perimeters of smaller fires). To see all 2018 fire locations or to change the map background, click the map layers icon in the upper right corner of the map and click/unclick the boxes. Pinch or use buttons to zoom, or drag the map to see other areas; click a marker for details. Go to the full map and table.

Data from InciWeb and GeoMAC; map by Kevin Hamm

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