The Stoner Mesa Fire, which has been burning in a remote section of the San Juan National Forest northeast of Dolores, has forced new road and area closures Thursday as weather conditions heightened fear the fire would spread, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Because of “extreme fire behavior” and hazardous ground conditions for firefighters, fire managers have adopted an indirect suppression strategy for the blaze.
As of 6 a.m. Thursday, San Juan Team 8, a local Type 3 Incident Management Team, took command of the fire suppression operations, while the San Juan Interagency Hotshot Crew began assessing indirect containment lines on Taylor Mesa. Other crews are reportedly evaluating structures along County Road 38 and in the Rico area as a precaution, should the fire spread along its current path. Additional scouting is underway along Stoner Mesa Road for potential control features.
To ensure firefighter safety, fire managers are establishing control lines away from the fire’s edge, part of a strategy to help containment in an area of difficult terrain.
The fire is reportedly at 0% containment and has spread to about 514 acres. It is burning in an area of mixed conifer forests and “substantial dead standing and downed trees.”
The Forest Service also warned of smoke, instating a red flag warning from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. due to “hot, dry and windy weather.” Smoke is expected to impact local communities during the evening hours.
Current 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.
If further evacuations are required, residents will be alerted via Dolores County Emergency Alerts.
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 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 reportedly to have been caused by lightening, and was first reported 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 website at www.inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjf-stoner-mesa-fire.
The Stoner Mesa Fire is one of three fires currently burning in Montezuma and Dolores counties. 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 has burned more than 400 acres, but that fire is predicted to be contained by this weekend.
