Acres: 1,388 | Containment: 79% | Cause: Lightning | Personnel: 202
Current Situation
With the Rio Blanco Fire held in check with minimal fire activity for another day, firefighters began pulling structure-protection hoses and sprinklers and moved chipping apparatus to the southern part of the burn area to continue rehabilitation efforts.
Additional firefighting resources were freed to return to their home units or to help battle other wildfires in the West, while those left behind focused on some of the tedious but most important work of “cold trailing” the edges of the fire to confirm with their bare hands that no heat remains. As a result, the containment figure has climbed to 79 percent.
Today’s Operations
A significant number of personnel remain assigned to the Rio Blanco Fire, where they continue to monitor, mop-up and rehabilitate damage to the landscape. Firefighters have been patrolling the fire perimeter overnight, and an initial attack (IA) module is available for any possible new fire starts.
Meanwhile, residents in the Lower Blanco area are being advised that smoke and flames may be visible in the interior of the burn area for a number of days as remaining vegetation burns off, and those do not need to be reported unless they are threatening the perimeter.
Closures/Evacuations
The San Juan National Forest has multiple road closures in place, including the Valle Seco Road (NFSR 653). The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife has lifted boating restrictions on Echo Canyon Reservoir. All residential evacuations have been lifted. Residents returning to the area are asked to remain alert, use caution around fire crews and equipment still working in the neighborhood.
Weather
A modestly cooler day is in store for firefighters on Sunday, with light winds and some afternoon clouds before clearing overnight. The potential of afternoon showers and thundershowers is on the horizon for Monday.