Hot temperatures and low humidity injected new life in the Lake Christine fire near Basalt, triggering a new round of pre-evacuation orders for residents in several mountain communities.
In the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, where the 416 fire is burning, monsoon moisture on Friday is expected to bring afternoon showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flooding will be possible in drainage basins near recent fires and burn scars.
Meantime, monsoonal showers have beaten down nearly every other wildfire in the state, allowing firefighters to completely encircle most of Colorado’s dozen wildfires with protective fire lines.
LAKE CHRISTINE FIRE
In the last few days the fire grew nearly 800 acres to 7,700 acres.
A pre-evacuation notice is in place for residents of Cedar Drive, Toner Creek, Seven Castles and Taylor Road subdivisions. The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office is contacting residents in these affected areas because of increased fire behavior on the eastern flank of the Lake Christine Fire. Residents should be prepared to leave their homes in the event an evacuation notice is ordered.
Increased fire activity Thursday threw off huge plumes of smoke in the area, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality health advisory through 9 a.m. Friday for southwest Eagle County, including Basalt and El Jebel.
After being downgraded to a type 3 team fire Monday, federal officials plan to bring back a type 2 incident management team Friday because of the increased activity, the Aspen Times reported.
416 FIRE
The biggest hazard facing residents near the 5,400-acre fire, which erupted June 1 near train tracks 13 miles north of Durango, are mud slides in areas where the fire burned trees and vegetation. A much-reduced fire team is looking for possible flare ups inside the northwest perimeter of the fire in the San Juan Forest.
SPRING CREEK FIRE
The fire was more than 108,000 acres in size and 91 percent contained in the last fire report Monday. The most active part of the fire has been on the northwest corner of the fire in steep, forested terrain.
SILVER CREEK FIRE
A new wildfire started Thursday in the Routt National Forest near the peak of Gore Mountain, northwest of Kremmling. The remote fire was about 10 acres Thursday night, burning through thick, dead and downed lodgepole pine, spruce and fir, according to forest officials.
Wildfires in Colorado and the U.S.
The map shows active wildfire locations and all 2018 fire perimeters*. The map defaults to Colorado; to see all wildfires, click “U.S.” in the view area. Click the map layers icon in the top right corner of the map to change map backgrounds and to toggle active and contained fires, and perimeters. Click a marker or perimeter for details. To view the full map and a table of all 2018 wildfires, click here.
*Data comes from two sources, and , and could contain inconsistencies. Map by Kevin Hamm and Daniel J. Schneider.