DOLORES – Afternoon thunderstorms dumped rain over the Stoner Mesa Fire on Saturday, significantly slowing the wildfire’s spread as firefighters reported mostly creeping and smoldering behavior by the end of the day.
The blaze, burning northeast of Dolores, has scorched 10,233 acres and was 41% contained by Sunday morning, fire officials said in a news release. Nearly 800 personnel are now assigned to the fire, which was ignited by lightning on July 28.
A community meeting to update residents on the situation is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Dolores Community Center.
Additional rain is forecast through at least Monday, which should keep fire activity at bay. However, logs and dense timber that receive less rainfall could continue to burn, the news release said. Crews will work only in areas safe from storms and flooding.
In his morning update, Operations Section Chief trainee Matt Weakland said Team 1 received more rain than expected Saturday and anticipated more moisture in the next several days.
“Weather is really going to dictate the operational tempo and what we can do out on this fire,” but noted, “Moisture that came in has presented some problems with access.”
Additionally, he emphasized the need “to make sure that we've got folks in a good spot as the as these weather cells move in.”
With the rainfall and decreased smoke, the air quality index in the Dolores and Rico area improved to “good,” although there might be brief periods of “moderate” air quality east and southeast of the fire.
Division A/E: On the east side of the fire, crews used drones with infrared sensors to locate hot spots near the containment lines. Firefighters are mopping up those areas and strengthening the perimeter. A contingency firebreak that ties into County Road 38 was being thinned along Stoner Mesa Road.
Division T: Firefighters worked on the fire’s edge using a large hose. A chipper was clearing piles of brush, and an excavator has arrived to start repairing bulldozer lines. Crews reported “significant progress” on a stubborn hot spot near the end of Forest Road 545. D.
Division X: Bulldozer teams carved out primary and secondary containment lines, and the dozers have been redeployed to other sectors. Firefighters mopped up the main line on Stoner Mesa Trail south to a canyon rim where the line ends. A “spike” camp has been created on Stoner Mesa to support crews working in that remote terrain, with helicopters ferrying supplies when weather allows.
Division W: Crews completed a contingency line from near Fox Den Reservoir along a canyon rim back to Forest Road 202. Managers have also identified a location to cut another contingency dozer line south of Taylor Mesa Lake, aiming to connect it with a containment line built by the Stoner Group firefighters.
Stoner Group: Firefighters cut a line in the Pipe Creek area on Saturday. On the east side of Stoner Creek, they plan to start a line to link up with a dozer line on Taylor Mesa.
More information
Information phone: 970-341-8668 (new number)
Evacuation alerts: Dolores County Sheriff’s Facebook page
Email: 2025.stonermesa@firenet.gov
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjf-stoner-mesa-fire
Facebook: https://facebook.com/StonerMesaFire/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@StonerMesaFire
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/StonerMesaFirePIO
Structure Groups: Engine crews and structure protection teams patrolled County Road 38 on Saturday, checking pumps, sprinklers and hoses around buildings after creeks swelled with rainfall. Firefighters completed assessments and fireproofing preparations for buildings along Colorado Highway 145.
Evacuations: Evacuation orders in the Mavreeso zone in Dolores County were downgraded to “Ready” status, the lowest alert level, allowing residents there to return home while remaining prepared for possible changes.
Restrictions: Stage 2 ban on open fires is in effect in the San Juan National Forest, surrounding public land and in Dolores County.
