Crews reinforce lines as hot, dry weather threatens to feed Stoner Mesa Fire

Spotting fires break out in the steep canyons of the Stoner Mesa Fire on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

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Spotting fires break out in the steep canyons of the Stoner Mesa Fire on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

Firefighters battling the Stoner Mesa Fire northeast of Dolores on Sunday reported steady progress on building containment lines, even as hot, dry weather promises to drive fire activity this week.

The lightning-caused wildfire, which ignited July 28, has burned 8,369 acres and remains 0% contained as of Sunday morning, according to Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1.

The change in weather, following a cooldown with rain Friday and Saturday, is expected to intensify fire behavior, as grass and brush becomes increasingly flammable and likely to spread in the rough and sometimes steep terrain between Stoner and Taylor mesas.

Structure protection teams continued to assess homes and energy infrastructure along the Colorado Highway 145 corridor, the team update said. More than 570 personnel have been assigned to the fire, and officials said efforts are focused on securing the perimeter and preventing the fire from advancing into inaccessible areas.

In Division A, on the northwestern side of the fire, crews have established fire lines from the edge of Division X to West Twin Springs Trail, with only a small segment of indirect line remaining, the news release said.

Firefighters are mopping up burned areas, strengthening fire lines and, where conditions allow, conducting small burns to reduce unburned fuels near the fire’s perimeter. Other crews were trying to contain two spot fires east of West Twin Springs Trail.

Elsewhere, southern containment lines are largely complete in Division T, and crews were reopening historic roads to access and mop up hot spots near the canyon rim. In Division X, dozer lines and trail improvements are being extended toward Aspen Reservoir. Additional resources were reportedly on the way.

Heavy equipment was also active in Division W, where mechanized tree fellers and masticators were clearing and shredding timber and vegetation to improve fire lines along the Road 201.

Forecasts call for temperatures in the upper 60s with light winds Sunday gusting up to 15 mph from the west. Fire behavior is expected to intensify as the hot, dry trend continues. Firefighters should confront smoldering, creeping and spotting fire with short uphill runs in the morning.

“Rolling debris may cause uphill runs, torching, and spotting when wind and slopes align,” the team said in a news release.

According to the U.S. Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program, smoke settled in the Stoner Creek, West Dolores and Dolores River drainages Saturday night, resulting in unhealthy air quality index conditions Sunday morning. Winds will raise the index to “good” by midday, but with nightfall, air quality will fall to “moderate” or "unhealthy“ in pockets along the Dolores River and continue into Monday morning.

Air quality Monday morning is expected to be moderate in Cortez, and good in Durango.

Evacuation alerts and fire restrictions remain in effect across Dolores County and the San Juan National Forest.

More information is available at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjf-stoner-mesa-fire.