This story is based upon coverage by Jeremy Wade Shockley that appeared on Sunday, June 5 on The Southern Ute Drum.
The Bear Dance Fire in Ignacio, Colorado, started at approximately 12:23pm on June 3.
The fire originated behind the Bear Dance Campground in the brush and cottonwood and spread north along the Pine River. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
As of the morning of June 4, the fire had burned approximately 89 acres and was 0% contained. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southern Ute Agency Fire Management called in a BIA led Type-3 Team to respond as well as two local Hot Shot crews and several entities. Additional resources from Durango Fire Protection District and Los Piños Fire Protection also assisted on the attack. Aviation resources were immediately called in, to include two helicopters and an airtanker.
A report on Sunday, June 5 stated that personnel had kept the fire to 89 acres and that it was 40% contained.
The Southern Ute tribal campus was evacuated. Housing developments along CR 517 and homes along CR 516 north towards Sundance Road were in pre-evacuation.
La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) shut off power to 3,235 members in Bayfield and 2,496 members in Ignacio on Friday, in close consultation with local authorities fighting a fire near the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, Colorado. LPEA infrastructure is directly on top of the drop zone, so lines were de-energized to allow fire crews to drop water and retardant safely. LPEA crews worked to re-route power to restore all Bayfield residents and reportedly restored power to all members as soon as it was safely possible to do so. For the latest outage details, visit http://outage.lpea.coop/.
Crews continue working on the fire’s perimeter, digging fire lines around the perimeter of the fire. No structures have been lost and no injuries were reported. The reservation remains in Stage I Fire Restrictions.
Personnel are also maintaining and improving hazardous recreational areas for future use.
Drones are strictly prohibited in the fire area.
Smoke may be visible in the area and may lead to poor air quality. To observe the air quality status, please visit the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Air Quality Ambient Monitor page.
As a reminder, Stage 1 fire restrictions were enacted for Southern Ute Indian Reservation on Friday, May 20, 2022 and will remain in effect until conditions improve.
Stage I Fire Restrictions prohibits acts for the general public, commercial operators and industrial oil and gas operators performing work on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.