ROUTT COUNTY, Colo. — The Green Ridge Fire that prompted evacuations and threatened Routt County homes is now 100% contained. Firefighters, on the other hand, said the Fishhook Fire has reached 89% containment.
Both fires in Routt County sparked Sunday, July 12. The Green Ridge Fire sparked southeast of Stagecoach Reservoir, and the Fishhook Fire is burning near Rabbit Ears Pass southeast of the Steamboat ski resort.
The Green Ridge Fire prompted evacuations in the nearby Stagecoach neighborhood, but "rapid response and aggressive initial attack" were credited with saving the homes that were initially threatened. Evacuations have since been lifted.
The Fishhook Fire has burned about 309 acres as of Thursday morning.
See the latest updates on each fire below.
Tuesday, July 28
The Fishhook Fire is now 100% contained, according to fire officials. It grew to be 309 acres in size.
Thursday, July 23
Fishhook Fire
In an operation update Thursday morning, fire official said they have established "significant containment across all divisions" of the fire, and due to decreased fire activity and favorable conditions, Southwest Incident Management Team 1 will transfer command of the fire back to the local unit at 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 25.
While there are some uncontained areas on the north and south edges of the fire, crews are actively securing these areas of lingering heat, fire officials said. In the fully contained eastern and western portions, crews have begun backhauling hose, pumps, and other equipment, they added.
Precipitation is expected to continue Thursday with scattered thunderstorms and localized heavy downpours. Warm and dry conditions will return this weekend, though temperatures will remain cooler than last week.
There are no evacuation notices currently in effect for the Fishhook Fire.
Tuesday, July 21
Fishhook Fire
In an operation update Tuesday morning, fire officials said the Fishhook Fire was mapped at 313 acres, a further decrease in acreage area than Monday. They said the updated acreage "reflects more accurate mapping of the fire’s perimeter and not a reduction in the size of the fire itself."
"Firefighters continue to make excellent progress, with crews gaining containment," officials said in a social media post. "Today’s primary objectives will be to patrol, secure, and increase the depth of mopup operations."
Containment has been secured on the west side of the fire, and firefighters are making excellent progress with mopup operations in the southern side. To the north, crews continue to address areas of interior heat amid low to moderate fire activity. On the east side, the fire remains within its footprint as firefighters finish snagging operations and clear hazardous trees to ensure the line is fully secured.
A community meeting will be held in Colorado Mountain College’s auditorium at 6 p.m. Tuesday, where community members will be able to hear the status of the fire and ask questions.
Pre-evacuation alerts that were in place for the Fishhook Fire in zones SS-356 and SS-376, which are located on National Forest land and which do not have any associated residences, have been lifted.
Monday, July 20
Fishhook Fire
The Fishhook Fire is currently mapped at 340 acres, a slight decrease from previous updates (from 347 acres) "reflects more accurate mapping of the fire’s perimeter."
Fire officials said continued low activity on the fire reflects the sustained work of air and ground resources holding it in place, aided by favorable weather.
On Sunday, firefighters increased containment by installing additional hose lay and extinguishing pockets of heat near the fire line on the west side of the fire. In the northern side of the fire, crews saw mostly interior burning while helicopters supported using bucket drops to cool heat near containment lines as the weather allowed. On the eastern flank, crews continued constructing handline to check fire spread in that area. On the south side, firefighters installed additional handline and hose lay to cool heat along the fire's edge.
Firefighters on Monday will remain strategically staged to support the local unit in the event lightning from recent storms results in new fire starts. On the west side, crews will continue extending hose lay while conducting mop-up and securing containment lines. On the north side, firefighters will work to complete the remaining section of containment line before flying in additional hose and pumps to begin mop-up operations. On the east side, crews will continue locating and extinguishing hotspots while beginning cold trailing and mop-up efforts to increase containment. South side operations will focus on continued mop-up and cold trailing to strengthen existing control lines.
Saturday, July 18
Green Ridge Fire
The Green Ridge Fire was fully contained as of Saturday, according to a morning update from the incident management team.
Firefighters "have continued securing the fire line and mopping up well into the interior of the fire footprint," the update said. Smoke may still be visible from County Road 16 for "the foreseeable future," and crews will continue monitoring for any fire activity. All evacuations and pre-evacuations have been lifted.
Fishhook Fire
The Fishhook Fire remains 0% contained as of Saturday morning, but a Saturday morning update from the incident management team said crews made "great progress" Friday, "preventing any growth of the fire during the day."
A pre-evacuation notice remains in place for a portion of the Routt National Forest, and Highway 40 remains open. See an up-to-date evacuation map here.
Friday, July 17
Green Ridge Fire
Roads have reopened and pre-evacuation notices have been lifted for the Green Ridge Fire, according to a 1:45 p.m. update from the Routt County Sheriff's Office.
The fire was 75% contained and burned about 40 acres, according to Watch Duty.
Fishhook Fire
The Fishhook Fire was still 0% contained and had burned around 350 acres, according to a morning update from the incident management team.
"A wind shift and afternoon thunderstorms are forecast through the weekend, which may increase fire activity and produce sudden changes in fire behavior," the update said.
A pre-evacuation notice remains in place for a portion of the Routt National Forest, and Highway 40 remains open. See an up-to-date evacuation map here.
Wednesday, July 15
The Fishhook Fire has burned 347 acres and remains 0% contained, while the Green Ridge Fire burned 41 acres and is 75% contained, according to Watch Duty.
Tuesday, July 14
While crews have made significant progress on containing one of the fires burning in Routt County, the other continues to grow without containment.
The Fishhook Fire, burning near Rabbit Ears Pass southeast of the Steamboat ski resort, prompted pre-evacuations Tuesday on U.S. Forest Service land. The area does not include any homes, according to a county alert. The pre-evacuation alert is "in anticipation of a potential forest closure order and are not the result of increased fire activity," the alert said.
Watch our latest update on these fires in the video below:
Recreational visitors are allowed to remain in the area.
The fire, which sparked Sunday, July 12, has grown to 229 acres and is 0% contained, according to a Tuesday morning update.
"It's a full suppression fire, we do have staff on the ground that are working to establish an anchor point and then working up the flanks to try and start towards containment. The fire has been a little bit more active this afternoon," Aaron Voos with the Routt National Forest told Denver7 Tuesday.
Highway 40, a major transportation route, remains open, and the fire is about a mile from the highway, the update said.
There is a detour available if Highway 40 has to be shut down, but it takes much longer, and emergency officials are concerned about access for hospitals in neighboring counties that use the route to transport patients.
The fire also prompted the closure of the ski resort's upper mountain above Thunderhead on Tuesday.
"Our teams are working with agencies responding to fire activity in the area and while there is no immediate threat to the Resort, we will be limiting access to the upper mountain as we continue to monitor the Fishhook fire located approx. 3 miles from the Resort boundary," the posting said.
Ground and aerial resources are being used to fight the fire, though officials say ground access to the fire is "difficult."
Meanwhile, the Green Ridge Fire, which has burned 45 acres southeast of Stagecoach Reservoir, was 45% contained as of Tuesday morning.
The fire, which also sparked Sunday, July 12, is burning near the Stagecoach neighborhood.
"Rapid response and aggressive initial attack are being credited for saving homes that were initially threatened," the incident management team commander wrote in a Tuesday morning update.
Routt County Emergency Operations Director Mo DeMorat said Oak Creek, Yampa and Steamboat Fire Districts mitigated early spread of the fire and called for evacuations. The fire is within a quarter mile of homes in the Stagecoach neighborhood.
"The local resource that responded pretty much emptied their stations and took everything they had. They were absolutely critical in stemming the spread as well as getting those necessary resources ordered and getting the people out," DeMorat said.
Evacuations and pre-evacuations remain in place for the fire, though evacuations in an area south of the fire were lifted Monday evening. For an updated evacuation map, visit this page.
The following roads are closed for firefighting operations:
- Routt County Road 16 at 18A
- Routt County Road 212 just past Schussmark Trail
- Snowbird Trail
- Broken Talon Trail
- Broken Talon Way
- Lynx Basin Way
- Lynx Basin Lane
- King Fisher Lane
- Green Ridge Drive
- Mountain Meadows Drive
- Ute Trail
- Cheyenne Trail
- Los Ranchos Road
- Commanche Road
An evacuation center is open at SOROCO High School, 305 Grant Ave., Oak Creek. It is not overnight shelter, but officials say anyone in need of overnight shelter should check in at the center. It has plenty of parking for campers and other vehicles, officials said.