The Spring Creek fire burning in western Colorado south of Parachute expanded overnight and firefighters carried hydrogen sulfide gas detectors as flames spread close to oil and gas facilities, federal authorities said Thursday morning.
The most recent mapping of the fire showed that it is burning within a 2,985-acre area (4.7 square miles), based on overnight aerial infrared imagery, the federal Bureau of Land Management officials said Thursday morning.
It was one of at least four fires burning around Colorado as hot, dry, and windy conditions favored flames.
In southwestern Colorado, two fires were burning on the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, and another was burning on Southern Ute land.
Spring Creek fire
Firefighters on the Spring Creek fire were relying on aircraft – helicopters lugging water and tankers loaded with fire retardant red slurry – in their efforts to contain and suppress flames, BLM spokesman Eric Coulter said in an emailed response to queries.
The proximity to oil and gas industry wells and other infrastructure complicated firefighting.
“The fire has burned around some pads, but no damage,” Coulter said.
“Most of the oil and gas infrastructure has good cleared space,” he said. A highly toxic and flammable gas, hydrogen sulfide, that potentially could be released “has caused us to have portable monitors for crews within proximity.”
No injuries have been reported on this fire, which broke out June 24 on private land in Garfield County southwest of Parachute and spread eastward into the White River National Forest. How the fire ignited hasn’t been determined. No evacuations were ordered.
“Air operations have been extremely helpful to keep the fire line in check and will be continued to be used where necessary,” Coulter said. “High winds have limited some fixed-wing use.”
Crews are prioritizing direct attacks – suppressing the fire by working as close to the edge of the fire line as possible – but preparing for indirect action as well to control the fire if it continues to spread, said Deon Steinle, planning operations section chief with the Rocky Mountain Incident Management team in a Thursday operational update.
Coal Mine fire
Firefighters in southwestern Colorado on Thursday were facing the Coal Mine fire in Archuleta County.
As of Thursday evening, the fire had burned across 267acres, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. Ground crews were working to suppress the blaze after aircraft were diverted to other fires.
Chris Mountain fire
About 12 miles west of Pagosa Springs, the Chris Mountain fire was burning on about 200 acres of national forest land, devouring Ponderosa pine and other trees, according to the latest information posted on a federal fire data website. Local authorities ordered evacuations in the area.
Firefighters planned to scout the fire Thursday and figure out how “to safely and effectively contain the fire,” authorities wrote in one update.
Aircraft – including a helicopter hauling water and airtanker loaded with fire retardant – were dispatched to the area Thursday afternoon, focusing on the east flank of the fire to keep it out of the drainage area, San Juan National Forest officials stated.
Toward late afternoon, the cloud cover that had been present most of the day cleared out and, with hotter temperatures, sections of the fire’s east flank in Devil Creek drainage began to cross over retardant lines, authorities wrote in their latest update.
Arkansas Loop fire
Another fire burning on Southern Ute land, identified as the Arkansas Loop fire, expanded overnight and was burning on 126 acres Thursday morning, according to a bulletin from Southern Ute spokeswoman Summer Begay.
Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighting crews, along with Southern Ute and other local teams, were working to contain the fire, Begay said. Firefighting coordinators had requested up to 100 firefighters, she said. Ground firefighters have been counting on aircraft dropping water and slurry “given the steep and rugged nature of the terrain.”
