EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — New evacuation orders are in effect in Eagle County in response to overnight growth of the Derby Fire, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said.
It jumped from 245 acres Tuesday night to 839 acres Wednesday morning, according to InciWeb tracking.
Sheriff's office deputies are headed to Sweetwater Road in Garfield County to evacuate residents.
Residents of Sweetwater Road and areas of Colorado River Road from Sweetwater to Red Dirt Creek are advised to evacuate their homes by 12 p.m. Wednesday.
Derby Mesa Loop remains in pre-evacuation at this time, according to Eagle Valley Wildland.
Click here for more information and resources to monitor conditions and evacuation notices.
Lightning started the Derby Fire Monday morning, about 14 miles north of Dotsero in the White River National Forest. The fire gained ground from burning debris rolling down the steep terrain Tuesday afternoon.
Denver7 is tracking several other wildfires on Colorado's Western Slope. Below is our roundup on where each one is burning, containment amounts and where residents can learn more details.
On Aug. 14, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order declaring a disaster emergency due to the critical fire weather conditions.
Size: 2,067 acres
Containment: 22%
First reported: Aug. 11 at 3:25 pm.
Cause: Unknown
Location: Routt National Forest in Rio Blanco County
Evacuations 🏠: See a map of the evacuation zones here
As of Monday morning, the Crosho Fire was still threatening 240 structures, according to the Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team. However, none had been destroyed as of 9 a.m.
Over the weekend, some evacuation orders were lifted and residents were allowed to return home. Fire Zone 2 remains under evacuation, as of noon Monday.
"Moderate" fire behavior continues on the north side of the Crosho Fire, near South Spronks Creek, the incident management team said. Aerial operations will continue on Monday, along with work on the ground, to secure sections of fireline from Crosho Lake east along County Road 15. The steep terrain around the fire continues to pose a challenge, the management team said.
"Protecting the safety of both firefighters and the public remains the highest priority. Hand crews and dozers, supported by aerial resources, are carrying out full suppression efforts," the team said.
Cool temperatures, calm winds and light precipitation over the weekend helped firefighters gain some containment. This week will stay warmer and drier, which may increase fire activity.
An emergency closure order is in place for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests around the fire. The Routt County Emergency Incident Map is updated with road closures.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Crosho Fire Information
Rio Blanco County Sheriff's Office
Size: 9,006 acres
Containment: 10%
First reported: July 28
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 5 miles west of Rico in the San Juan National Forest
Evacuations 🏠: No current evacuations
A warming and drying trend in the weather is expected over the Stoner Mesa Fire on Monday, so there is an increased risk in fire activity.
"Firefighters continue to make good progress on containment lines in areas where the fire has been the most active while continuing to scout for opportunities for indirect containment lines in inaccessible parts of the fire," the incident management team said.
Operations Section Chief Matt Weakland with Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 1 provided an update on Facebook on Monday. He warned that the community of Stoner, just southwest of the fire's perimeter, will see an increased number of fire personnel over the next few days as firefighters ensure that side of the fire is "very well taken care of." Recently, that has been the most active part of the fire. It will continue to be active over the next few days, he said.
"We're putting a lot of focus on building our lines through here and taking care of this Stoner Creek drainage," he said.
The northeast edge of the fire is in a very challenging area, he explained. The team is still planning how it will attack that area. The opposite side, on the northwest edge, is moving into the mopup stage, which will take several days before authorities can officially call it contained there.
Along the southern edge, more mopup work will continue this week, but "things are looking really good on this portion of the fire," Weakland said.
To sign up for Dolores County emergency alerts, click here. To sign up for Montezuma County emergency alerts, click here.
A community meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. at the West Fork Fire Department, located at 12002 Road 38 in Dolores. This meeting will be livestreamed on Facebook and a recording will be posted on YouTube.
Updates posted to:
Stoner Mesa Fire Information
USDA Forest Service Facebook page
InciWeb
Size: 31,698 acres
Contained: 79%
First reported: July 10
Cause: ⚡️
Location: 8 miles northeast of Gateway in Mesa County
Evacuations 🏠: All evacuation orders have been lifted
On Monday, crews will continue to patrol the western perimeter of this fire to extinguish hotspots, while others address heat pockets along the southern edge. They continue to make steady progress, according to Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3.
Residents who live nearby may see some smoke on Monday as the fire reaches isolated pockets of unburned foliage within the perimeter. This smoke will help firefighters quickly identify and extinguish those spots.
"Spread potential is minimal, as winds are expected to remain light," the management team reported. "However, as warm, dry conditions persist through the week, residents could see increased smoke from the fire."
Winds are expected to stay light, with some gusts up to 15 mph.
Updates posted to:
InciWeb
Turner Gulch Fire Info.
Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit Facebook
Mesa County Sheriff's Office page on Facebook
Blue Ridge Fire
Size: 25 acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: Aug. 15
Cause: Under investigation
Location: La Plata County
Notes: All evacuation and pre-evacuation orders lifted on Aug. 18.
Oak Fire
Size: 75 acres
Contained: 78% (as of last update on Aug. 13)
First reported: Aug. 10
Cause: Structure fire
Location: Archuleta County west of Pagosa Springs
Notes: The Archuleta County Sheriff's Office said two suspects have been arrested in connection with an illegal burn that started this fire. The suspects have been identified as Sergio Alaniz Jr., 41, and Ross Heirigs, 60. They were arrested on charges of fourth-degree arson.
Peninsula Fire
Size: 17 acres
Containment: 80% (as of last update on Aug. 10)
First reported: Aug. 8
Cause: ⚡️
Location: South of Highway 145, between Norwood and Placerville
Yellowjacket Fire
Size: 29 acres
Contained: 40% (as of last update on Aug. 16)
First reported: Aug. 15
Cause: Unknown
Location: Northeast of Meeker
Deer Creek Fire
Size: 17,724 Acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: July 10
Cause: Under investigation (as of last update on Aug. 12)
Location: Eastern Utah and Montrose County (Colorado)
South Rim Fire
Size: 4,232 Acres
Containment: N/A (National Park Service says 100% containment likely will not occur until snowfall, but "fire behavior is limited to smoldering and creeping, and poses very little risk of spread outside the current fire footprint.")
First reported: July 10
Cause: ⚡️
Location: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Leroux Fire
Size: 195 Acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: Aug. 3
Cause: ⚡️
Location: Delta County
Wright Draw Fire
Size: 466 acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: July 10
Cause: ⚡️
Location: Mesa County
Windy Gap Fire
Size: 30 acres
Containment: 100%
First reported: Aug. 6
Cause: Unknown
Location: Grand County
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