A San Juan National Forest Incident Management Team (IMT) took command of the Dry Lake Fire at 6:00am Wednesday morning. The lightning-caused fire is burning on forest land north of US Highway 160 between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs.
The small fire is east of Yellow Jacket Pass and southwest of Dry Lake Reservoir. Fire managers are working to implement a suppression strategy that involves containing the fire within previously defined and prepared control lines to allow this naturally caused wildfire to reduce forest fuels and improve forest health within those boundaries.
Fire behavior thus far has been minimal, and the fire is not a threat to private property. It is burning within a tract of land that was treated by a prescribed fire in 2019 and was planned for a second prescribed burn this fall. Fire crews have been working to prepare control lines around the roughly 1400-acre section for the past several weeks and that work continues today. 100 firefighters have been assigned to the fire with an Interagency Hotshot Crew being ordered.
“This is a perfect opportunity to reduce the long-term fire risk in this area,” said Pat Seekins, the Fuels Program Manager for the San Juan National Forest, who is also serving as Operations Chief for the IMT. “We already have resources on the forest, in terms of engines and hand crews, along with aviation resources if needed, that will help us keep the fire within pre-defined boundaries. And we also have favorable conditions that should allow us to achieve our objectives for this piece of ground.”
Those objectives include lowering the risk of future catastrophic wildfire by reducing the amount of fuel on the ground and thinning, with fire, surface fuels, the understory and oak brush. Low-to-moderate intensity fire also improves forage for wildlife by creating growing room for grasses and other plants. These efforts align with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape as well as other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.
Fire crews will work today to finish preparing control lines and safeguarding some power poles for the Tri-State high-voltage power line near the fire. Once that work is completed, and if weather conditions continue to be favorable, firefighters will add fire, utilizing drip torches and a drone, to contain the fire with indirect tactics.
Smoke will be visible to travelers along US Highway 160 between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs, and to some residents in Ignacio and Archuleta County. Please watch for extra fire traffic in the area and along First Notch Road (FR 620) this week and into this weekend.
Wildfire smoke may affect your health. For more information, please go to: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health
For information on the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874, visit the forest website.