West Fork Fire Update - July 16

West Fork Complex Fire Update

Colorado Interagency Type III Team – Phil Daniels, Incident Commander    

Fire Information Phone:  719-569-4149 Voice mail only, calls will be returned as quickly as possible.

Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Email: WestForkFire.EastZone@gmail.com

July 16, 2013, 9:00 a.m.                    

Current Situation:

The Papoose fire is the only fire on the complex that is staffed.  The other fires on the complex will continue to be monitored by air and appropriate action will be taken as needed.  Two, Type-3 helicopters remain dedicated to monitoring and will provide bucket drops and other fire support for this complex. 

Weather:  The next few days will bring a drier weather pattern into the fire area.  There will still remain isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms, confined to the mountain areas.  Humidity levels will be 30-42 percent today, with will aid fire efforts.  Flash flood watches with potential ash and/or debris flows remain in place in all three fire areas. 

Papoose Fire:  There is scattered interior heat on the fire that continues to be monitored.  Crews will be working to fell dead and damaged trees along popular travel routes, including the River Hill campground.  The backhaul of equipment will continue off of the fire line.

West Fork Fire and Windy Pass Fire: There are very minimal areas of heat and smoke on this part of the fire.  The fires will be monitored and appropriate action will be taken as needed. 

Public Health and Safety: 

Smoke can be expected to be seen across parts of the fire for the next several days to weeks.  The rain and winds have gone a long way towards clearing the air. For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Area Road and Trail Closures: 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices. 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.

Fire Statistics:

Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO             

Start Date: 06/05/2013          

Complex Size:  109,615 acres                                               Percent Contained: 66%

Windy Pass: 1,417 acres                                            Cause:  Lightning

              Papoose: 49,628 acres                                               Total Personnel: 82

              West Fork: 58,570 acres                                                                                             

                                                                                               

Resources Include:  1 Type-1 hand crews, 1 Type-2 hand crews, 5 engines, 2 Type-3 helicopters and 12 overhead personnel.

For more information:

Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/

Twitter:@RioGrandeUSFS

Photos: http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

West Fork Fire Complex - July 15 Update

West Fork Complex Fire Update

Colorado Interagency Type III Team – Phil Daniels, Incident Commander    

Fire Information Phone:  719-569-4149 Voice mail only, calls will be returned as quickly as possible.

Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Email: WestForkFire.EastZone@gmail.com

July 15, 2013

10:00 a.m.                  

Special Message:  As of 6 p.m. July 14, the Colorado Interagency Team III assumed command of the West Fork Complex.

Current Situation:

The Papoose fire is the only fire on the complex that is currently staffed.  The other fires will continue to be monitored by air and appropriate action will be taken as needed.  Two, Type 3 helicopters remain dedicated to monitoring and when needed, provide bucket drops and other fire support for this complex. 

Weather:  The entire fire complex remains with strong chances for wetting rains throughout much of this week.  The moonsonal moisture will combine with an upper level flow pattern favorable for continued afternoon and evening shower and thundershower development.  Temperatures are currently cool, and expected to increase later this week returning to near normal levels. Flash flood watches with potential ash and/or debris flows remain in place in all three fire areas. 

Papoose Fire:  There is scattered interior heat on the fire that continues to be monitored.  Crews will be working to fell dead and damaged trees along popular travel routes, including the River Hill campground.   

West Fork Fire and Windy Pass Fire: There are very minimal areas of heat and smoke on this part of the fire.  The fires will be monitored and appropriate action will be taken as needed. 

Public Health and Safety: 

Smoke can be expected to be seen across parts of the fire for the next several days to weeks.  The rain and winds have gone a long way towards clearing the air. For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Area Road and Trail Closures: 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices. 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.

Fire Statistics:

Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO             

Start Date: 06/05/2013          

Complex Size:  109,615 acres                                                 Percent Contained: 66%

Windy Pass: 1,417 acres                                              Cause:  Lightning

            Papoose: 49,628 acres                                                   Total Personnel: 82

            West Fork: 58,570 acres                                                                                             

                                                                                               

Resources Include:  1 Type-1 hand crews, 1 Type-2 hand crews, 5 engines, 6 water tenders, 2 Type-3 helicopters and 13 overhead personnel.

For more information:

Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/

Twitter:@RioGrandeUSFS  |

Photos: http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

West Fork Complex Update - July 14

West Fork Complex Fire Update

Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 – Beth Lund, Incident Commander       

Fire Information Phone:  719-569-4149* As of Sunday, 7-14 this number goes to voice mail only. Calls will be returned as quickly as possible.

Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Email: WestForkFire.EastZone@gmail.com

July 13, 2013

9:00 a.m.                    

Special Message:  Containment is now up to 66%.

Current Situation:

At 6 p.m. today the Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 will hand off responsibility to manage the Papoose and West Fork Fires to Phil Daniel’s Colorado Type 3 Incident Management Team.  The complex will remained staffed with adequate resources to patrol and monitor the status of the two fires as well as serve as an Initial Attack (IA) force should the need arise.

The Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are scheduled to be lifted at 6 p.m today.

An interagency Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will be arriving tomorrow to begin their initial assessments.  The goal of a BAER team is to assess the after effects of a fire(s) and develop a strategy for emergency stabilization and rehabilitation.  Everything from erosion protection to what needs to be done to make trails, roads and campgrounds safe for people to re-enter damaged sections of the forests.

Public Health and Safety: 

You can expect to see smoke across parts of the fire for the next several days to weeks.  The rains and monsoon associated winds have gone a long way towards clearing the air. For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Area Road and Trail Closures: 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices. 

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.

Fire Statistics:

Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO              Start Date: 06/05/2013          

Complex Size:  109,615 acres                                                             Percent Contained: 66%

Windy Pass: 1,417 acres                                                          Cause:  Lightning

            Papoose: 49,628 acres                                                             Total Personnel: 289

            West Fork: 58,570 acres                                                                                             

                                                                                               

Resources Include:  1 Type-1 hand crew, 1 Type-2 hand crew, 14 engines, 2 water tenders, and 136 overhead personnel.

Air Resources: 2 Type 3-helicopters.

Information Traplines:

The information traplines have been discontinued.  The information updates and maps will continue to be

available on InciWeb and the incident blogspot.  Beth Lund’s Great Basin IMT 1 would like to thank all

of the communities, businesses and agencies for their kind support of our firefighters. Additionally we

would like to extend our thanks to all of the local businesses and agencies for assisting us in sharing the

changing status of this incident with the visitors and residents of this beautiful area.

For more information:

Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/

Twitter: @RioGrandeUSFS  | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatBasin

Photos: http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

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66 Percent Containment Reported

Tonight's incident status summary (ICS-209) reports 66% containment on the West Fork Complex. It also reports that "no threat from the fire remains relative to structures." Threats do remain to firefighters from falling trees ("snags") and from the possibility of mud and ash slides.

West Fork Complex Fire Update

Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 – Beth Lund, Incident Commander
Fire Information Phone:  719-569-4149* (as of Sunday, 7-14 this number goes to voice mail only. Calls will be returned as quickly as possible.)
Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Email: WestForkFire.EastZone@gmail.com

Special Message:  Plans are to lift the TFR, Temporary Flight Restrictions, by the end of today.

Current Situation:
Last night much of the complex received approximately one tenth of an inch of precipitation.

Weather (North of the Continental Divide):  The relative humidity will be slightly increased today remaining in the lower to mid 40% range. There will be a chance for isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon beginning at noon to 1 p.m.  The extended outlook includes the chance for scattered thunderstorms over the next few days. A potentially heavy rain storm with significant precipitation is predicted for Sunday night through Monday morning. Flash flood watches with potential ash and/or debris flows remain in place in all three fire areas.  

Two, Type 3 helicopters remain dedicated to monitoring and when needed, provide bucket drops and other fire support for this complex.  Air Operations are being relocated today to Creede.

We believe all structure protection equipment, portable tanks, pumps, sprinklers and hoses have all been picked up.  If any member of the public comes across some of this fire equipment that may have been missed or overlooked, please call 719-569-4149 and notify us of the item(s) and their location so they may be recovered.

Papoose Fire:  Continued scattered interior heat on the fire is being monitored.  Crews will be working along the 520 road and several trails doing saw work to minimize the “snag”, falling dead or damaged trees along these popular travel routes.

West Fork Fire (North of the Continental Divide):  There are minimal areas of heat on this part of the fire.  Fire control efforts will be mainly monitor and patrol of the burn area. Rehabilitation work continues on the old two track road that cuts across the top of the West Fork Fire and drops down into the Elk Creek Ranch.

West Fork Fire (South of the Continental Divide):  There are minimal areas of heat on this part of the fire.  The Big Meadows campground has reopened, but only the lower campgrounds are available, roads remain closed for the higher elevation areas and campgrounds due to snag and other fire related dangers.

Windy Pass Fire:  Eastern side of the fire continues to hold some heat and the fire remains in patrol/monitoring status.
Public Health and Safety:  
You can expect to see smoke across parts of the fire for the next several days to weeks.  The rains and monsoon associated winds have gone a long way towards clearing the air. For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Area Road and Trail Closures:  
For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices.  

For information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.

Fire Statistics: Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO
Start Date: 06/05/2013 
Complex Size:  109,615 acres
Percent Contained: 50%
Total Personnel: 495 
Cause: Lightning 
Windy Pass: 1,417 acres 
Papoose: 49,628 acres 
West Fork: 58,570 acres 
Resources Include:  1 Type-1 hand crews 9 Type-2 hand crews, 20 engines, 6 water tenders, and 166 overhead personnel. Air Resources: 2 Type 3-helicopters.

Information Updates:
Today will be the final day the fire information team will be posting fire information updates at area businesses in Creede and South Fork.  Beth Lund’s Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 would like to thank all the communities for their kind support of our firefighters and the local businesses and agencies for assisting us in sharing the changing status of this incident with the visitors and residents of this beautiful area.

For more information: 
Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/
Twitter: @RioGrandeUSFS  | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatBasin
Photos: http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

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West Fork Complex July 12 Update 12:00 p.m.

Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 – Beth Lund, Incident Commander          

Fire Information Phone:  719-569-4149

Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Email: WestForkFire.EastZone@gmail.com

Special Message Update:  Forest Service Road 520 to the Rio Grande Reservoir is now open.

Current Situation: 

As of 8 PM last night command of both the East & West Zones of the complex have been assumed by the Great Basin Incident Management Team 1.

Last night much of the complex received measurable precipitation around two tenths of an inch, mainly North of the Continental Divide of the West Fork Fire and the Papoose Fire.

Weather (North of the Continental Divide):  The relative humidity will be slightly increased today. There will be a chance for isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Winds are expected to be 8-12 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.  The extended outlook includes the chance for scattered thunderstorms over the next few days and flash flood watches in place from noon to 9 PM in all three fire areas.

Papoose Fire:  Continued scattered interior heat on the fire is being monitored, while the lines look good overall.  The fire will continue to be in monitoring and mop up status.  Afternoon west-southwest winds on ridge tops could result in isolated fire activity.  Structure protection will remain in place where appropriate.  Last night’s rainfall estimated at two tenths of an inch may produce small ash flows in drainages.

Additionally, a new lighting strike fire was spotted near Humphries above the 4U R Ranch which was quickly located and contained by fire crews already assigned to the complex.

West Fork Fire (North of the Continental Divide:  There are minimal areas of heat on this part of the fire.  Monitoring and patrol will be in place on hot areas of the fire.  This fire is not anticipated to be influenced by ridge top winds this afternoon.  Crews will be available for initial attack if needed. 

Increasing monsoon moisture that began midweek will continue to move across the area through the weekend and into early next week. Firefighters will continue to monitor, patrol and start to haul back excess equipment and trash from the fireline.  Main objectives today will be continuing to patrol and monitor for fire activity and readiness for any new fires to assist both national forests.  Weather permitting, aerial monitoring and initial attack will continue. 

West Fork Fire (South of the Continental Divide):  As fire activity is low and weather conditions continue to remain favorable, firefighters will work to clean up the local area.  By the end of shift today, it is anticipated that all equipment, flagging and signage will have been recovered from the firelines and surrounding areas.  This equipment will be returned for rehabilitation and ready for use on the next incident.   Firefighters will continue to patrol the fires are available for Initial Attack as needed.   The West Fork Campground is open.

Windy Pass Fire:  Eastern side of the fire continues to hold some heat.  Monitoring by air will continue today and firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the fire area.  A resource advisor from the forest will be traveling near the fireline to assess firefighting impacts.  

 

Public Health and Safety: 

You can expect to see smoke across parts of the fire for the next several days to weeks.  The past couple of days smoke has been noted coming from the East Fork of Trout Creek and settling down into the valley below. For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Evacuations and Closures: 

The San Juan National Forest has announced that the East Fork Road (FS Road #667) from the East Fork Campground to its eastern terminus at FS Road #380 at Elwood Pass will be reopened along with the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (FS Trail #813) from the East Fork Road at Elwood Pass north and west to its junction with Highway 160 will be reopened and the Silver Creek Trail (FS Trail #567), which starts off the East Fork Road, will be reopened.  For additional information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices. 

Additional information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.

Fire Statistics:

Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO              Start Date: 06/05/2013          

Complex Size:  109,610 acres                                                             Percent Contained: 32%

Windy Pass: 1,417 acres                                                          Cause:  Lightning

            Papoose: 49,628 acres                                                             Total Personnel: 623

            West Fork: 58,570 acres                                                                                             

                                                                                               

Resources Include:  1 Type-1 hand crews * (a second Type-1 hand crew was reassigned early this morning to another fire.) 10 Type-2 hand crews, 24 engines, 1 dozers, 7 water tenders, and 220 overhead personnel.

Air Resources: 3 Type-1 helicopters, 2 Type-2 helicopters, and 2 Type 3-helicopters.

Information Traplines:

Today will be the final day the fire information team will posting fire information updates and maps at the

over 80 businesses & government offices in Lake City, Creede, Monte Vista, South Fork, Del Norte and

Pagosa Springs.  Beth Lund’s Great Basin Incident management Team 1 would like to thank all the

communities for their kind support of our firefighters and the 80 businesses and agencies for assisting

us in sharing the changing status of this incident with the visitors and residents of this beautiful area.

For more information:

Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/

Twitter: @RioGrandeUSFS  | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatBasin

Photos: http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

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West Fork Complex Fire Update

Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 – Beth Lund, Incident Commander

Central Coast Interagency Incident Management Team 7 – Mark Nunez, Incident Commander

East Zone Phone:  719-569-4149
West Zone Phone: 970-731-2745
Hours of operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

East Zone Email: westforkfire.eastzone@gmail.com
West Zone Email: westforkfire@gmail.com

Special Messages:  On July 11, at 8 p.m., the Great Basin Team 1 will assume command of the entire complex as the Central Coast Team completes their assigned time on the western side of the continental divide.

Current Situation:

East Zone of the West Fork Complex (includes Papoose Fire and eastern part of West Fork Fire)

West Fork Fire (East Zone):  There are minimal areas of heat on this part of the fire.  Crews will monitor and patrol hot areas of the fire. Ridgetop winds this afternoon should not influenced the fire.  Crews will be available for initial attack if needed. Rehabilitation of hand and dozer line will continue.  Crews will also continue to remove sprinklers, hose, and other equipment placed around structures along highway and throughout the fire area.

Papoose Fire:  Scattered interior heat on the fire is being monitored; the lines look good overall.  The fire will continue to be in monitoring and mop up status.  Afternoon west-southwest winds on ridgetops could result in isolated fire activity.  Structure protection will remain in place where appropriate.

Weather (East Zone):  Relative humidity continues to increase slightly each day as the monsoon system moves toward the area.  Isolated thunderstorms are likely in the afternoon.  Winds are expected to be 6-10 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph near thunderstorms.  The extended outlook includes the chance for scattered thunderstorms over the next few days.

West Zone of West Fork Complex (includes western part of West Fork Fire and the Windy Pass Fire):  Firefighters will be diligent maintaining the safety practices in these changing weather conditions.  Main objectives today will be continuing to patrol and monitor for fire activity and readiness for any new attacks.  Weather permitting, aerial monitoring will continue.

Weather (West Zone):  The weather will be changing today as winds from the south begin to bring clouds, lightening, and rain to the area.  Scattered thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening.  Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rain which can lead to flash flooding.  In addition, small hail and gusty winds may accompany these thunderstorms.

West Zone West Fork Fire:  The West Zone of the West Fork Fire is the portion of the fire burning south of the continental divide. Structure protection is still in place for the Wolf Creek Ski Area, Borns Lake Cabins, and Bruce Spruce Resort.  The West Fork Campground is open.

Public Health and Safety: Smoke monitors have been removed from the fire area.  For the Colorado Smoke Outlook, visit http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx or http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/wildfire.aspx for more information.

Evacuations:  All evacuations have been lifted.  Residents should be cautious when returning to their homes as fire crews will still be working across the fire area, smoke will continue to be seen as interior portions of the fire continue to burn, and ash and mud flows are likely as rain moves into the area.

Closures:  The Rio Grande National Forest has further reduced the size of the fire area closure; Pass Creek Road and Tucker Ponds are now open.  The Rio Grande River is open for boating and fishing from South Fork to Forest Service Road 522 (Fern Creek Road).  Forest Service Road 520 (to the Rio Grande Reservoir) remains closed beyond the junction with Forest Service Road 521.  For additional information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the Rio Grande National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/.  For additional information on road and trail closures and fire restrictions affecting the San Juan National Forest go to: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sanjuan/alerts-notices.

Fire Statistics:
Location:  14.5 miles north/northeast of Pagosa Springs, CO

Start Date:  06/05/2013
Complex Size:  109,449 acres Percent Contained: 25%
Windy Pass:  1,417 acres Cause:  Lightning
Papoose:  49,465 acres Total Personnel: 708
West Fork:  58,576 acres

Resources Include:  2 Type-1 hand crews, 10 Type-2 hand crews, 32 engines, 1 dozers, 9 water tenders, 4 camp crews, and 266 overhead personnel.

Air Resources:  4 Type-1 helicopters, 2 Type-2 helicopters, and 3 Type 3-helicopters.

For more information:
Blog:  http://westforkfirecomplex.blogspot.com/  | Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3436/
Twitter:  @RioGrandeUSFS  | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreatBasin
Photos:  http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/WestForkComplex/library/

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