If any mustang can make a smoky horizon look good, it’s handsome Hayden.
The 416 Fire is up to 32,076 acres, and the Burro Fire is now at 3,408 acres.
We’re hoping for rain … but the Durango Herald reports that the forecast could be a “mixed bag” because of wind and potential lightning. We’re already getting the blasting wind.
We really need a drenching rain. We need a LOT of drenching rain.
This probably isn’t that … yet … but we’re starting to get reports that the monsoons are coming.
I almost (*almost*) wish I could tell readers that that’s dust in the background. It has been windy … forever, it seems.
But that’s smoke, and it rolled in like a crazy wall around 8 p.m. Timelapse video probably couldn’t have been more dramatic than the weirdly fast way it advanced.
In hopeful news, weather forecasters are giving us a 100 percent chance of rain on Saturday. … It must be true, right????! 🙂
I told someone that, and he replied, “You’re either a fool or a newcomer if you believe that.”
Yeah. I’ll believe it when the rain is in my gauge.
Come for the mustangs, stay for the weather report. 🙂
Meanwhile … obviously, the fire are still burning. Some good news there: About half of the evacuees from the 416 Fire have been allowed to return home.
Skywalker and S’aka caught in the act of peacefully grazing in gorgeous evening light.
Not so nice or peaceful:
That’s not a lovely nice rain cloud building behind McKenna Peak and Temple Butte. That’s smoke again from the 416 Fire and/or Burro Fire. The smoke trail along our southeastern horizon is so widespread that I’m really not sure which fire it’s from. Neither fire is a good fire.
Another photo in the trend of pretty mustangs trying to hide behind the only greenery in Spring Creek Basin, which is mostly greasewood.
No news here: The 416 Fire grew, and the Burro Fire grew. We had smoke in Disappointment Valley.
Terra can’t believe that Piedra is trying the ol’ hide-behind-the-tamarisk ploy, especially after Aspen got caught looking red-handed handsome the other day. 🙂
We need a smile.
The 416 Fire nearly doubled in size Sunday, and now more than 2,000 homes are evacuated north of Durango. The Burro Fire has grown to 1,000 acres and has 0 percent containment. These two fires in Southwest Colorado were the lead story on the Denver CBS 4 news last night.
An email last night from San Juan National Forest spokeswoman Cam Hooley:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2018
San Juan National Forest to Implement Forest-wide Closure Order
DURANGO, CO –The San Juan National Forest (SJNF) is planning to implement Forest-wide Stage 3 fire closure this week, which will prohibit most entry into the forest. The purpose of the closure is to protect natural resources and public safety due to the danger of wildland fire. Fire danger on the SJNF remains very high due to exceptional drought and fuel conditions. The closure order is expected to be signed Tuesday, June 12, 2018 and remain in effect until the forest receives sufficient moisture to improve conditions.
The closure order will prohibit entry into the San Juan National Forest, including entry by the general public, most administrative entry by Forest Service employees, and most uses authorized under Forest Service permits and contracts. This means that forest campgrounds, day use areas, roads, and trails will be closed, including wilderness areas, and that hiking, dispersed camping, and other recreational activities are prohibited. Exemptions might be granted on a case-by-case basis with a written authorization from the Forest Service, which would include specific requirements for fire prevention. Exemptions must be requested from the appropriate District Ranger (below). Federal, state, or local officers conducting specific duties are exempt. The McPhee Recreation Area Complex boat ramp and marina will likely remain open but no shoreline use will be allowed.
The SJNF covers 1.8 million acres within the Dolores Ranger District, the Columbine Ranger District, and the Pagosa Ranger District across nine counties in southwestern Colorado. County and state roads and U.S. highways that cross Forest Service lands will not be affected by this order. On-going road closures due to the 416 Fire will continue to be managed by the La Plata County Sherriff. Businesses in local communities will remain open for business during the Forest closure at their discretion.
San Juan National Forest Supervisor, Kara Chadwick, wants concerned citizens to know that instituting a forest closure is an extremely difficult decision, and she is aware that the closure will affect a great many people, businesses, partner agencies, forest management activities, and the public. Forest managers use several criteria to determine when to implement restrictions and closures, including fuel moistures, current and predicted weather, values at risk from wildfire, fire activity levels, and available firefighting resources. The SJNF implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions on May 1, then Stage 2 fire restrictions on June 1, but conditions continued to worsen. “The indices our fire team uses to predict fire danger are at historic levels well before we can expect any significant moisture from the seasonal monsoons,” SJNF Forest Fire Staff Officer, Richard Bustamante said. “Under current conditions, one abandoned campfire or spark could cause a catastrophic wildfire, and we are not willing to take that chance with the natural and cultural resources under our protection and care, or with human life and property.”
Violating Stage 3 fire restrictions or going into a closed area carries a mandatory appearance in federal court, and is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
The signed closure order will be posted on the San Juan National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/sanjuan/home . You can also follow @SanJuanNF on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information, please contact:
San Juan National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 970-247-4874,
Dolores Ranger District at 970-882-7296,
Columbine Ranger District at 970-884-2512,
or the Pagosa Ranger District at 970-264-2268.
To report a fire on federal lands, please contact the Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch Center at (970) 385-1324.
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This devastating drought affects us all. While these fires are not particularly close to Spring Creek Basin, they affect our neighbors and friends. Our prayers and wishes for safety continue to be with all of those folks, and with the firefighters, working on all aspects of these fires, away from their own homes and families.
Dear Aspen,
Whoever told you that greasewood would hide your handsomeness … lied. 🙂
Corazon in a blast from the not-too-distant past (mid-May).
He’s the definition of laid-back coooooooooooooooool. 🙂
Smoky haze just highlights Terra’s loveliness.
The Horse Park Fire is pretty much contained, but a small south of us and the 416 Fire north of Durango are putting some smoke into the air. Mostly, the wind keeps it away from us, but some areas are very smoky.
Hollywood and Alegre.
Just hangin’ out on a windy day in Spring Creek Basin.
How cute can you get?!
Nearly every photo on this blog could be deemed a dose of peace, eh? 🙂 We aim to please.
Fire news: Another fire started in the region yesterday, this one southwest of Spring Creek Basin in Cross Canyon. Fortunately, it’s fairly far from us – across a river and a highway – but we can see the smoke from Disappointment Valley.
We need peace. … And we definitely need to be safe!
