Fire burns 50 acres, perimeter mostly surrounded by fire retardant
An air tanker from the U.S. Forest Service’s Durango Tanker Base makes a drop of slurry on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday south of Durango.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Charlie Moore loads items from his home into vehicles as he readies to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns a few miles west of his home south of Durango.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A High Flume road resident moves her livestock from the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday as it burns south of Durango. Areas on pre-evacuation notice include private land in the High Flume Canyon area including Rancho Durango Road in the Rancho Durango subdivision, Green Shadow Road, High Flume Drive and Loop and La Posta Canyon Road.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A High Flume road resident moves her livestock from the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday as it burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A La Plata County Road and Bridge crew on Wednesday delivers a 5,000-gallon water tanker to the Rancho Durango subdivision for firefighters working the Black Ridge Fire. The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office got the tanker at no charge as military surplus to aid in fighting wildfires, spokesman Dan Bender said. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
A Durango Fire Protection District firefighter learns how to use a 5,000 gallon water tanker delivered to the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday evening. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
A Durango wildland brush crew awaits orders Wednesday at the Black Ridge Fire in southern La Plata County. Multiple agencies responded to the fire. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
A resident was bulldozing a fire break on his property to guard against the Black Ridge Fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Smoke rises from the Black Ridge Fire burning Wednesday in southern La Plata County. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A member of the La Plata County Road and Bridge Department explains how to use the new 5,000-gallon water tanker to Road Maintenance Superintendent Doyle Villers. The tanker is one of two that came to the county as military surplus. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
Smoke from the Black Ridge fire in southern La Plata County could be seen for miles Wednesday afternoon, including in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Resident Jim Holzman watches the growing plume from the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday afternoon. Holzman said he was 80 percent packed just in case. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Oil workers said they were unable to reach their wells Wednesday afternoon because of the Black Ridge Fire. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Jim Holzman has his house packed up and is ready to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns a few miles west of his home south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Air support from the U.S. Forest Service Durango Tanker Base drops slurry on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango Fire Protection District staged several pieces of equipment near homes for fire protection on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A smoke plume is visible fron U.S. Highway 550 from a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in the Black Ridge area in southern La Plata County. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
A Durango Fire Protection District firefighter uses binoculars to get a closer look at the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Residents prepare in case they must evacuate because of the Black Ridge Fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A mule is evacuated from the area where the Black Ridge Fire was burning Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
The smoke from the Black Ridge Fire was visible throughout La Plata County on Wednesday. This was taken just before 4 p.m. from Los Ranchitos subdivision off Florida Road County Road 240) east of Durango. Photo courtesy of Peter Butler
Smoke rises Wednesday from the Black Ridge Fire south of Durang. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango Fire Protection District staged several pieces of equipment near homes for fire protection on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Air support from the U.S. Forest Service Durango Tanker Base makes a slurry drop on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Residents pack up in case they must evacuate as the Black Ridge Fire erupts Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Charlie Moore loads items from his home into vehicles as he readies to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns a few miles west of his home south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Fire crews await orders at the Black Ridge fire Wednesday afternoon in southern La Plata County. Multiple agencies were responding to the fire, which was threatening homes and gas and oil resources. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
La Plata sheriff’s deputies plan for possible pre-evacuations for the Black Ridge Fire burning in southern La Plata County. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputies put together an evacuation plan to notify area residents of the Black Ridge Fire as it burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A fire that had residents in the Rancho Durango ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice Wednesday afternoon was under enough control they were safe to stay in their homes for the night.
They remain on pre-evacuation status until further notified, said Scot Davis, spokesman for the Durango Fire Protection District, in a 7:35 p.m. release. The fire, which started at about 4 p.m. Wednesday, was holding steady at about 50 acres in piñon and juniper Wednesday evening as the relative humidity increased.
“Everything is replaceable except you,” said Jim Holzman, who has lived there for five years. “But I’ve at least loaded up all my interesting things.”
In addition to homes, oil and gas rigs in the area were also threatened, Davis said.
“Oil workers say they can’t access their wells,” said Durango Herald Staff Writer Jonathan Romeo, who reported from the scene. “They said a bunch of wells are in the area of the fire.”
The fire, which had already burned into burn scars from 1994 and 2004 fires also moved into the 2005 Black Ridge Fire burn scar, Davis said. Fires in burn scars typically have less fuel to feed their progress.
“Retardant has been dropped around most of the perimeter of the fire,” he said. Fire crews were planning to patrol the burn area throughout the night.
The La Plata County Road and Bridge Department towed an 18-wheel water tanker into the Rancho Durango subdivision Wednesday evening.
“The (La Plata County) Sheriff’s Office got two 5,000-gallon tankers through the military surplus program to fight wildfires,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dan Bender said. “We got them at no cost.”
The tankers are new to the county this summer, said Butch Knowlton, director of emergency management for La Plata County. One was previously used at the 217 Fire in mid-June.
“That’s going to be prepositioned,” Bender said about the tanker, “so firefighters can withdraw water throughout the night as needed.”
The areas on pre-evacuation notice include private land in the High Flume Canyon area including Rancho Durango Road in the Rancho Durango subdivision, Green Shadow Road, High Flume Drive and Loop, La Posta Canyon Road and adjoining roads – pretty much the far west portion of High Flume Canyon in that subdivision, he said.
Meanwhile, two other fires were burning in La Plata County.
Multiple structures were ablaze at 2065 County Road 101 west of Marvel, but information on whether they were homes or outbuildings was not available Wednesday evening. Durango Fire Protection District dispatched an engine from the downtown station to assist the Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District, Davis said.
And a brush fire was burning southeast of Bayfield.
“Deputies were requested by Upper Pine Fire Protection District to respond to a brush fire in the 5800 block of County Road 523 that appeared to be human-caused,” Bender said. “What that means is we have three fires burning in La Plata County at the same time.”
The large plume of smoke from the Black Ridge Fire, though, could be seen for miles, including in Durango.
While no red flag warning was issued for Wednesday, the National Weather Service said temperatures above normal, low humidity – 19 percent as of 4:45 p.m. – and dry fuels would keep the possibility of fire high.
“People should remain vigilant, not just in these areas but throughout the county,” Bender said. “These fire conditions are not expected to change for another one to two weeks, and the risk of fire will continue to be with us for some time.”
The Southern Ute Tribe Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire Management Team is the lead agency on the Black Ridge Fire, with Los Pinos and Durango Fire protection districts, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Management providing assistance.
abutler@durangoherald.com Herald Staff Writer Jonathan Romeo and intern Luke Perkins contributed to this story.
