Weston Pass Fire Information
719-966-7842
Call Center Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM
E-mail: 2018_copsf_westonpass@firenet.gov
Incident Information: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5876/
Social Media: www.facebook.com/westonpassfire/
July 9, 2018 AM Update
NOTE: Community Meeting, Tuesday, July 10, 6 PM, South Park High School gym
Current acreage is 13,019; containment on the fire is 52%.
Weather
Last night, the fire received more rain, .24” on Jones Hill and .45” at the RAWS site in the wilderness area on the west side of the fire. Today will bring 77°- 80° temperatures and 16-20% minimum humidity with 8-12 mph winds from the ESE with gusts to 20 mph after 12:00 PM. Skies will be mostly sunny in the morning becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon. No storms are expected today. This evening, temperatures will dip to 46°-51°, with humidity recovery to 55-60% and zero chance of wetting rain.
Current Situation
Parts of the fire received beneficial rain of a short duration. With the sun warming and fuels drying, expect to see interior smokes within the fire perimeter. Firefighters monitor these smokes on the ground by strategically placing lookouts and by air with air resources and helicopters. At night, engines patrol to assure that the fire stays within the containment line. Activity on the north side will include patrolling and securing line, making improvements on CR 22, and allowing only residents along CR 22 to return to their homes. Security will be posted at the neighborhood entrances to check passes. On the east side, the fire containment line was extended south along FS 168 to FS 155 increasing total containment to 52%. Crews will continue to patrol and secure along this line and begin the rehab process (returning the land to a more natural state) where needed. Division P will secure the fireline to the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness (BPW) and work on more active fire areas with helicopter bucket operations. Contingency lines on the south side will be improved by using the chipper to deal with fuels brushed out as the line was developed. A multiple mission aircraft (MMA) and infrared flights will identify hotspots to direct crew operations. Helicopters will drop gel suppressant on the hot spots in the BPW area. The purpose of gel suppressant as opposed to retardant is that suppressant is long lasting and changes the nature of the fuel so it won’t burn. Crews and dozers will cut contingency line from DP 55 west to the Lynch Creek Trailhead. A hotshot crew will cut fire from the BPW boundary to meet a dozer cutting fireline from the north. The fire will have resources available for intial attack in case new fires break out in the area.
Information Briefing
Public Information Officers will conduct daily briefings at 2:00 PM outside at Prather’s Grocery Store, 301 US Hwy 285, Fairplay and at 3:00 PM outside at Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, 343 US 24, Buena Vista.
Closures and Public Safety
The speed limit on Highway 285 is posted at 50 mph and there is no stopping in the fire area. Visit http://www.parkco.us for up to date information. Evacuations in the CORA area remain in place. Evacuation status may change and evolve. For up to date information, please visit http://www.parkco.us. Buffalo Peaks Wilderness area is closed until further notice, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/psicc.
Fire Statistics:
Location: 9 miles south of Fairplay, CO Percent Contained: 52%
Start Date: June 28, 2018 Total Personnel: Approximately 572
Size: 13,019 acres Cause: Lightning
Resources Include: Three Type 1 hand crews, 10 Type 2 hand crews, 19 engines, one masticator, 2 dozers
Helicopters: Four Type 1, two Type 3 and two fixed wing aircraft