Despite “red flag” hot, dry and windy conditions that favor flames, the Spring Creek fire burning in western Colorado south of Parachute stayed roughly the same size, authorities said Wednesday.
The most recent mapping of the fire showed that it is burning within a 2,859-acre area, based on overnight aerial mapping using infrared imagery, according to officials with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit, which on Tuesday had estimated the size of this fire at more than 3,000 acres.
The fire did not grow Wednesday according to an afternoon update, and crews reached 20% containment on the blaze.
The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team (RMA CIMT2), led by Incident Commander Jared Hohn, assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
“This is a full suppression strategy fire,” RMA said in a news release. “Additional fire resources have been ordered and continue to arrive.”
Air resources, including helicopters and retardant delivery aircraft, are being used, weather permitting, to assist firefighters. Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. There are no current evacuations.
Flames were devouring grass, oak brush, and pinon-juniper forest, according to data from an online federal fire information site.
Low humidity and robust wind favored the fire. The National Weather Service Grand Junction office on Wednesday issued “red flag” fire danger warnings covering much of western Colorado and forecasters anticipated temperatures as high as 94 degrees.
Federal fire managers on Wednesday were expected to coordinate efforts to suppress flames. More than 360 firefighters have been deployed along with trucks. And local authorities have requested aerial support — firefighting helicopters lugging water and tankers loaded with red fire retardant slurry that pilots can drop ahead of fast-moving walls of flame.
The fire broke out Saturday along Spring Creek and spread rapidly, burning on private land in Garfield County and reaching the White River National Forest. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officials have closed off areas around the burn zone in an effort to ensure firefighter and public safety. The authorities said they have not been able to determine what ignited this fire.
It was kicking up plumes of brown smoke, expected to degrade air quality in downwind communities.
No buildings have been burned. No evacuations have been ordered. No injuries were reported.
Updated 11:00 a.m., June 28: Because of an editing error, the name of the photographer who took the image of the Spring Creek fire displayed on this article was published incorrectly. Their name is Taylor Cramer.
