A slight dip in containment for the Gold Mountain Fire from 8% to 7% Friday morning was attributed to strategic firing operations, according to the incident management team.
This fire, which started on June 27, has grown to 33,185 acres and is 7% contained, as of Friday morning. It is burning in Ouray County, north of the small City of Ouray.
No structures have been reported lost. The cause is under investigation. Click here for the most up-to-date interactive map showing evacuations for this fire.
To sign up for emergency alerts, visit the Gunnison County website for its emergency management department, Hinsdale County's emergency alert signup page, and Ouray County's alert center website.
Sunday, July 12
9 p.m. | Aircraft crash | A pilot fighting the Gold Mountain Fire has crashed into a Gunnison County reservoir, according to the local sheriff's office.
At 5:17 p.m. on Sunday, the Gunnison Regional Communications Center received a report that an aircraft had gone down in the Silver Jack Reservoir in the southwest part of the county, the Gunnison County Sheriff's Office said.
We have our breaking news story here and below.
Wildfire
Firefighting pilot at Gold Mountain Fire crashes into Gunnison County reservoir
7:48 a.m. | Operations update | The Gold Mountain Fire has remained active so far this weekend, according to the incident management team.
"Firefighters are continuing to secure the edge along Highway 550 and are ensuring that firelines along County Road 12 hold against reburn potential," they reported. "The potential for reburn is higher in the oak brush fuel type as the shrubs shed leaf litter that burned during the initial burn has dried out the canope which could reignite with the right heat and wind conditions."
A helitack crew worked along the southern edge of the fire.
Saturday, July 11
3 p.m. | Overall update | Fire containment dropped slightly to 6% and 34,848 acres have been burned, as of the Saturday morning update. Officials said drones have flown into the fire's Temporary Flight Restricted Area: "When this happens, all air operations are grounded putting firefighters and public lives at risk. Remember, IF YOU FLY, WE CANNOT," wrote officials on social media.
Friday, July 10
9 p.m. | Increase in fire activity | The northern side of the fire has been active Friday evening, which the incident management team said is a combination of a few things. They said it's due to:
- The fire becoming became established in Nate Creek and beginning to run up the side of the mountain to the east
- Spot fires becoming active in dense timber on the east side of the West Fork of the Cimarron
- The fire activity from both east and west converging to create a large smoke column
The time lapse video they shared in the post below was taken from the Ouray County Fairgrounds. It condense 45 minutes until about 2 minutes.
8:07 a.m. | Fire behavior | The most significant growth of the Gold Mountain Fire occurred in the Nate Creek area, where a large spot fire progressed northeast along the west side of Cimarron Ridge, according to the incident management team.
6:23 a.m. | Latest on acreage and update on containment | The Gold Mountain Fire was measured at 33,185 acres Friday morning and stands at 7% contained. On Thursday, it was estimated at 8% contained. The incident management team said the slight dip is due to strategic firing operations in the area of Owl Creek and Road 858 over the past two days.
Thursday, July 9
10: 15 p.m. | New fire | A new fire, dubbed the Elk Fire, is burning east of the Gold Mountain Fire. Aerial resources from the Gold Mountain Fire have also been assisting in the response, according to a post from the Gold Mountain Fire's incident management team. Read more here.
9:35 a.m. | Operations update | Operations Section Chief Jeramy Dietz said firefighters continue to gain good containment along US 550 and around Ouray and the Lake Lenore area. Firing operations on the northwest side of the fire has also been successful. Over the next four to five operational periods, he said crews will start to gain more secure lines.
6:43 a.m. | Update on acreage and containment | The Gold Mountain Fire has burned through 32,131 acres, but remains at only 8% contained, according to the Gold Mountain Fire Facebook page.
Warm, dry weather will continue to increase fire potential across the wildfire area through the end of the week, Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 said.
Wednesday, July 8
12:15 p.m. | Fire update | Fire managers are going to move forward with strategic firing operations along the fire's northwest edge. This means they will burn fuel ahead of the fire, and between its perimeter and current firelines. This will slow down the fire's progress, the incident management team said.
As a result of this, the size of the Gold Mountain Fire will increase, which may also impact the containment percentage.
8 a.m. | Operations update | Areas of the Gold Mountain Fire continued to burn in the interior of this fire Tuesday, but activity remained "relatively quiet" on Tuesday, according to the incident management team.
While storms did roll through, they did not bring the strong winds that were anticipated.
Infrared mapping shows very little heat along the Highway 550 corridor, where minimal fire growth is expected.
Fire activity is expected to remain low to moderate on Wednesday.
7:50 a.m. | Update on acreage and containment | The Gold Mountain Fire now totals at 31,420 acres, while it is 8% contained, according to the Gold Mountain Fire Facebook page.
Tuesday, July 7
8:22 p.m. | Limited re-entry | Beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Ouray County Sheriff approved reentry for those in Zones 12 and 13. This includes the roads along the 550 Corridor including all roads off of CR 14, Portland, White House Vista Lane, Old School Road and Redstone Road. Credentials are required to enter the area.
5:50 p.m. | Incident meteorologist | Denver7 reached out to the National Weather Service to learn more about the incident meteorologists who have been called to several of Colorado's wildfires, including the Gold Mountain Fire. On Tuesday, we spoke with one of them about the unique role they play at these disasters.
Click here for an inside look at their daily responsibilities.
1:11 p.m. | Help from across the U.S. | People from 34 states are currently assisting at the Gold Mountain Fire.
8:23 a.m. | Operational update | The most active part of this fire remains in the northern and northwestern portions, according to an incident management team update. Strategic firing operations, where firefighters remove fuel ahead of a fire so it has nothing to burn, has strengthened containment lines.
Most of this fire is burning in the Uncompahgre Wilderness Area, where it has not burned in more than 50 years, the team said.
Monday, July 6
12:56 p.m. | Prep for re-entry | While it's not yet clear when evacuated residents can return home, Ouray County Emergency Management is preparing by starting a credential process on Tuesday. Here's more from the county:
- Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
- Time: 1-7 p.m.
- Location: Ridgway Elementary School, 1115 Clinton St.
- What to bring? For reentry credentialing, property owners and residents must bring valid documentation that shows the address of a property in the reentry area. County staff will have a list of all impacted properties to verify.
9:57 a.m. | Operations update | In an operations update video posted Monday morning, Operations Section Chief Jeramy Dietz said while crews have secured containment on the south end of the fire, firefighters are staying vigilant and will continue to have a presence there.
Dietz explained that divisions are in place farther north of the fire, as experts were not able to find any good place to put resources closer to the line. Firefighters in those northern divisions are building firelines, should the blaze reach them. If conditions change, the crews will adapt, Dietz said.
He said he expects to gain more containment on the southeastern edge of the fire in the next few days.
9:21 a.m. | Incident management team update from Sunday efforts| Firefighters were able to reinforce indirect containment lines between Baldy Peak and County Road 12 on Sunday afternoon, thanks to lighter winds and better conditions. These efforts will help protect Ridgway, Ouray, the US 550 corridor and communities north and northwest of the fire.
The 3% containment is on the southern edge of the fire, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team reported.
There is a 30% chance of thunderstorms that may bring erratic winds and lightning on Monday.
8:08 a.m. | New evacuations | Gunnison County has announced new mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders.
The mandatory evacuations are now in place for the area south of Storm King and east of Cimarron Ridge to County Road 864A in the Cimarron Valley to the U.S. Forest Service boundary. This includes the Bear Claw, Silver Jack, Eagle's Rest, and Little Bighorn subdivisions, according to the Gunnison County Emergency Management department.
Voluntary evacuations are in place for the area east of County Road 864A and west of Big Blue Creek, up to the BLM boundary; and south of the intersection of County Road 883 and County Road 864, also known as Little Cimarron; and north of the U.S. Forest Service Boundary. This includes Johnson Park Road and Little Cimarron Road within this boundary.
Sunday, July 5
3:27 p.m. | Update from firefighters | Steep and rugged terrain stopped firefighters from putting fireline directly at the fire's edge in the Baldy Peak area on Sunday afternoon. Instead, the crews constructed indirect containment lines from Baldy Peak to County Road 12, according to fire officials.
Firefighters tested out this line at 3 p.m. on Sunday, which "led to the decision to move forward," officials wrote on the Gold Mountain Fire Facebook page.
"This afternoon and evening, smoke from strategic firing operations will be very visible from the Baldy Peak area to the town of Ridgway and the Highway 550 corridor," fire officials said. "Once completed, the firelines will provide firefighters with a line of defense with the highest probability of success should the fire spread in that direction."