As the Stoner Mesa Fire has grown to over 3,500 acres as of Aug. 11, firefighters have strategically navigated the “extreme” behavior of the flames and kept the nearby town of Rico on proactive watch.
The fire, which began July 28 about 20 miles northeast of Dolores, has been bolstered by the absence of monsoonal rains, the push of windy days and an abundance of woodland fuels in a steep terrain. It is 0% contained.
Because of “extreme fire behavior” and hazardous ground conditions for firefighters, fire managers have largely taken on an indirect suppression strategy for the blaze.
“When extreme fire behavior is at play we can’t get firefighters on the ground,” Lorena Williams, a public information officer for San Juan Team 8, told The Journal Friday.
While the fire has grown eastward, in turn threatening the small mountain town of Rico, Aug. 11 saw some relief due to a change in wind direction, according to a news release. More growth was seen on the fire’s southwestern edge, allowing firefighters to scout for a fireline.
“The fire grew over 1,000 acres yesterday and overnight,” San Juan Team 8 Operations Chief Brian Austin said on Aug. 11.
In the western direction, the fire reportedly expanded across Spring creek, the news release said.
Still, work is underway to protect structures in Rico along the County Road 38 Corridor, with firefighters reducing fuels near properties and setting up sprinkler systems to brace for the possibility of a spread into town.
“We're making sure we're talking to the communities around the fire so that folks are prepared in case the fire does head in that direction,” Williams said.
The area from the Montezuma/Dolores county line to Cayton Campground along the Colorado Highway 145 corridor is under “ready” evacuation status. If evacuations become necessary, residents will be notified via Dolores County Emergency Alerts.
The Rico Fire Station will be hosting a community meeting on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. The meeting can also be livestreamed via the Stoner Mesa Fire Information Page on Facebook.
Choking out the fire’s spread as much as possible has been a priority for firefighters.
On Sunday, bulldozers and hand crews made a control line north of the fire off the 686 road with plans of connecting the line to County Road 38.
Team 8 Operations Chief Brian Austin on Saturday said crews would focus on the County Road 38 and Colorado Highway 145 corridor.
As of Monday, crews working on the fire, including the Union Interagency Hotshots and the San Juan Hotshots, continued to flank off southern control lines with a preexisting South Calico Trail east of the fire, according to a news release.
Other operations are underway with dozers north and south of the fire.
Division Tango and Division Alpha have taken the lead on some of these endeavors, Austin said on Saturday.
Much of the efforts to cut off the fire’s reach involve tying in preexisting roads, hiking trails, creeks and rock outcroppings.
A news release also said that two new spike camps would be set up Aug. 11.
Wilson said that aircrafts could be used “if the opportunity presents itself to assist the crews in suppression actions.”
As of Sunday, a Facebook post on the fire said that additional personnel were arriving, even though the time of year tightens the allotment of resources.
“Heavy competition for resources locally and nationally means that we've drawn fire support from all over the country, from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest,” the post read. “After days of travel, these crews are arriving and adding to our ranks.”
Roads: NFS Roads 545, 201, 547, 555, 692, 592, 545J (Taylor Mesa), 686 and 875 (Stoner Mesa)
Trails: NFS Trails 738 (Loading Pen), 201, 211 (Calico), 645 (Priest Gulch), 624 (Stoner Mesa), 739 (West Twin Springs), 741 (East Twin Springs), 625 (Stoner Creek), 620 (Eagle Peak), 639 (Johnny Bull), 646 (East Fall Creek), 640 (West Fall Creek)
Violations of the closure order are considered a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, imprisonment for up to six months or both.
The fire also forced new road and area closures Thursday as weather conditions heightened fear the fire would spread, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Thursday road closures include Stoner Mesa Road (Forest Service Road 686), Taylor Mesa Road (FSR 545), all branching roads and the Mavreeso, Burro Bridge and West Dolores campgrounds. No closures were anticipated for Colorado Highway 145 or County Road 38.
On Wednesday, the San Juan National Forest Dolores Ranger District collaborated with the San Juan Type 3 Incident Management Team in developing a suppression plan. Helicopter flights were conducted to gain more insight into the fire and potential suppression, and others scouted for “control features” like roads, trails, rock outcroppings, creeks and more. Fire retardant drops were halted for “minimal effectiveness.”
“The public might be looking, going ‘Why don’t I see air tankers?’ But that’s not the correct fire suppression strategy at this time,” Williams said.
“The Stoner Mesa Fire is going to be with us for a while,” Dolores District Ranger Nicholas Mustoe said via the Forest Service on Wednesday. “The forest type and rugged terrain limit what tactics can be effective. We will take every available action to limit the footprint of the Stoner Mesa Fire when and where we can be successful.”
The fire is reported to have been caused by lightning, and was first identified on July 28. Firefighters responded to the scene, and 7,000 gallons of water were dropped on the fire by helicopters.
Hazards like lightening, dead trees and others led to the decision for the fire to be patrolled by aircraft. No smoke was visible until Tuesday, when the fire “experienced significant growth.”
Updates on the fire can be found by visiting the Stoner Mesa Fire Facebook page or by tracking the fire on the Watch Duty app or online page.
Stage 2 fire restrictions are now in place for the San Juan National Forest and Dolores County, as well as Mesa Verde National Park and Yucca House National Monument, the BLM Tres Rios Field Office, the Southern Ute Reservation and the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.
The Stoner Mesa Fire is one of three fires that burned in Montezuma and Dolores counties last week. The Waters Canyon Fire, burning on the Ute Mountain Ute edge of Mesa Verde National Park, has burned about 200 acres. North of Cahone, the Sharp Canyon Fire burned more than 400 acres, but that fire is predicted to be contained by this weekend.
