Firefighters are responding to a rapidly growing wildfire in the Mitchell Lakes area north of Hermosa. The fire was reported about 9:50 a.m. Friday. It started in the Iron King area and moved west into the Mitchell Lakes area. Read More Here
Beginning June 1, 2018, Stage 2 Fire Restrictions will be in effect on all National Forest System lands within the San Juan National Forest, including Wilderness. Fire restrictions are designed to protect people, property and the area’s natural resources, and are in response to the exceptional drought rating in Southwest Colorado, increased fire activity throughout…
Fire restrictions in Archuleta County have risen from stage one to stage two and, as a result, have become more restrictive. Stage two fire restrictions were approved by the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) at a special meeting Tuesday morning. The restrictions, included in a resolutation, were described as necessary to reduce the…
Hitting the 358 Fire northeast of Durango hard and fast with helicopters, planes and a hot-shot crew helped control and contain it. The fire was started on private property Friday afternoon by someone shooting recreationally. Before it was extinguished Monday, the blaze consumed between 51 and 53 acres, Upper Pine River Fire Chief Bruce Evans said. No…
The smoke-filled sky in Durango is likely tied to fires burning in western New Mexico, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. On Tuesday, many residents in Southwest Colorado woke to a hazy ski, the appearance of which usually comes with a fire. Read More HERE
Over the next several days, Durango is expected to see a red flag warning, wind gusts up to 60 mph, highs near 60 degrees, lows close to 20 degrees and another near-miss storm that’ll snub the southern San Juan Mountains. According to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, a red flag warning was in…
Prescribed Burns Planned for Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa and First Fork Areas on the Pagosa Ranger District Release Date: Apr 5, 2018 The Pagosa Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 400 acres in the Turkey Springs/Brockover Mesa areas northwest of Pagosa Springs, CO. Operations may begin as early as the week of April 9th; actual dates of…
“WASHINGTON – Congress considered legislation Tuesday that seeks to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2017 wildfire season that ravaged Colorado, California and other western states. A bill discussed during a U.S. House hearing would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to focus more on prevention of wildfires rather than emergency responses. ‘There is…
Recently published in the Pagosa Sun Southwest Colorado and Northern New Mexico offer an expanse of recreational opportunities and beautiful vistas. We are drawn to this area because of the mountains, the forests, and the rivers. But, like everywhere else, living in these wild places comes with challenges presented by the natural environment, and wildfire…
PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colorado – January 24, 2018 – The Pagosa Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 400 slash pile in the Turkey Springs area northwest of Pagosa Springs, CO beginning Thursday, January 25, 2018. The piles consist of slash thinned from hazardous fuels-reduction projects. This is part of a larger project involving prescribed fire,…