Fire crews continued their charge against the Ferris Fire on Thursday, committing fuller resources to the tricky terrain of northwest Dolores River Canyon where San Juan Team 8 officials anticipate flames will reach next.
As flames catch the river in some parts, it means pivoting strategies.
The area poses too much danger for firefighters to directly attack, while also not making it plausible for aircraft to fly below, said Lorena Williams, spokeswoman for the San Juan National Forest. Trying to haul heavy equipment is also ruled out – it’s too narrow and steep.
The Ferris Fire remains 0% contained as of Thursday. It has burned nearly 27,400 acres since three wildfires erupted six days ago before merging. The blazes are believed to have been started by lightning strikes.
The fire is located about 15 miles northwest of McPhee Reservoir and Dolores township, affecting both Montezuma and Dolores counties. Firefighting is led by an incident three team, the San Juan Team 8, and includes growing units each day with up to 280 people and brigades from various regions.
On Thursday, the arrival of the “Super Scooper” aircraft out of Alaska is anticipated for additional air support and may start pulling water from McPhee Reservoir on Friday, the release said.
So far, no private land or structures are burning, Williams said, although evacuation orders are in affect for the Glade Ranch subdivision area and could be imposed shortly for other private inholdings near the river canyon.
Ferris Fire backed down Doe Canyon overnight Wednesday and is likely to run up the canyon soon, causing fire officials to impose indirect suppression.
“We are moving a lot of fire resources over to the west side of the Dolores Rim to be available in case where there are homes and power lines and other critical infrastructure that we want to protect over there,” Williams said.
The west side is near homes, power lines and economic drivers, including range and timber.
Currently, the private land that may be affected is under a “set” status regarding evacuations. This means those located in Zone 8, which includes parts of Dolores County Road 16, should be ready quickly to leave given the proximity of the fire, according to the Dolores County Office of Emergency Management’s Facebook page. All updates are posted directly to the page.
The sign-up for the Dolores County emergency alert system is available online through an Everbridge community link.
“Being set doesn’t mean you need to leave yet – it means you’re prepared to go immediately if asked. Acting early helps keep you, your loved ones, and first responders safe,” the office said in a Facebook post.
Williams said the strategy for the canyon flames in divisions C and A intend to use a network of roads and natural barriers like meadows to build a line around the fire. Crews will primarily use engines to mobilize better and supply water.
“What’s different about the northwest side of the fire is you can’t dig lines in a canyon. You can’t put retardant in the canyon. You can’t put bulldozers in the canyon,” she said. “What you have to do is build the line around the canyon to contain it there.”
The efforts in Division C has required more planning, resources and even included expanding divisions to account for the fire’s footprint – a new one called division J.
On the east side, near valuables at risk and homes, suppression is making good progress, as characterized by Williams.
“We’re going to keep assessing structures and doing point protection,” she said. “But every day that's gone by, there’s more hose lays to bring more water, more dozer line to protect the structures, and more firefighters to keep expanding that fire line.”
More medical personnel, including a Rapid Extraction Module team, will be available to assist on the fire line.
Weather for the coming days is forecast to bring warmth and dryness, and the wind is still in play although its speed is reducing – the county is still under a red flag warning for the sixth day.
awatson@the-journal.com
