Thursday, 25 Apr 2024

Colorado wildfire update: Latest information on Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak and Williams Fork fires

Four wildfires are burning large swaths of Colorado as high temperatures and low humidity contribute to prime burning conditions across the state. The effects from the smoke can be felt all the way to the Front Range, as state public health officials issued air quality alerts for older adults, children and those with sensitive conditions.

This is updated information as of Saturday morning.

Pine Gulch fire

After days of uncontrolled growth, the Pine Gulch fire remained relatively stable overnight and now sits at 74,807 acres and 7% containment as of Saturday morning.

Fire officials have focused all week on protecting Garfield 204, along which are residences and oil and gas operations.

The wildfire, burning 18 miles north of Grand Junction since July 31, remains the fourth-largest in Colorado’s recorded history.

Grizzly Creek fire

The wildfire in Glenwood Canyon grew 5,000 acres overnight and is now burning nearly 20,000 acres.

Winds were favorable Friday, and fire lines held in the No Name drainage as the fire stayed low in the canyon without spreading across the drainage, Grizzly Creek fire officials said Saturday morning on the incident webpage.

Bureau of Land Management recreation sites and boat ramps have been closed on the southern part of Colorado River Road near Dotsero, including Cottonwood Landing boat ramp, Lyons campground and boat ramp, and Dotsero boat ramp.

Saturday’s weather will remain hot and dry with moderate winds, officials said. Crews will focus on protecting structures in the areas of Spring Valley, High Aspen and Lookout Mountain, as well as No Name, Shoshone Power Station, Bair Ranch and Dotsero.

Officials warned residents near the fire to remain ready for evacuation or pre-evacuation notices as the wildfire continues to move. That information can be found on the Garfield County and Eagle County websites.

Interstate 70 between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum remains closed, as it has been all week, as transportation officials tell drivers to use planned detours and not rough mountain passes.

Forest Service Road 400 and Eagle-Thomasville Road have been closed because of “excessive traffic and accidents resulting from drivers attempting to use this primarily dirt road as an alternate to the I-70 closure,” fire officials said.

Cottonwood Pass Road in Garfield and Eagle counties, and Independence Pass are closed. Coffee Pot Road, Transfer Trail and Clinetop Mesa roads, and areas of the Flattops accessed by those roads, also are closed, as are many surrounding White River National Forest and BLM roads.

For more information regarding road closures, go to cotrip.org.

The fire did burn above Hanging Lake, the popular tourist destination, but has largely spared the lake area, officials said Friday evening.

Cameron Peak fire

The wildfire burning in Larimer County is up to 5,424 acres, officials said Saturday morning, as crews attempt to keep the flames from the Red Feather Lakes area.

Firefighting on Saturday will be centered on keeping the wildfire from reaching areas with structures and residences, while officials monitor the more rural forest areas from afar, Beau Kidd, a fire spokesman, said in a Facebook video.

Officials on Friday asked people to avoid Poudre Canyon, Red Feather Lakes and other recreational areas.

The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office previously ordered evacuations of campgrounds, hiking trails, lakes and picnic areas in a 300,000-acre area in the Roosevelt National Forest.

Williams Fork fire

The wildfire 15 miles north of Fraser burned actively overnight and now sits at 1,300 acres, officials said on the fire’s incident webpage.

On Friday, several campgrounds were ordered to evacuate.

County Road 30 is closed around County Road 3, except to mill traffic, according to the Grand County Office of Emergency Management. The east side of County Road 50 is also closed.

The Inn at Silvercreek Conference Center, 62927 U.S. 40 in Granby, will serve as an evacuation and information center. For information, call the sheriff’s recorded information line at 970-725-3852.

Wildfire map

Click markers for details, use buttons to change what wildfires are shown. Map data is automatically updated by government agencies and could lag real-time events. Incident types are numbered 1-5 — a type 1 incident is a large, complex wildfire affecting people and critical infrastructure, a type 5 incident is a small wildfire with few personnel involved. Find more information about incident types at the bottom of this page.

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