BAYFIELD, Colorado – August 16, 2017 –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Firefighters worked until after dark last evening conducting firing operations and monitoring the progress of the 842 Fire. After several days of preparation, everything came together nicely and the goal of safely burning out this final area was met. The 842 Fire has increased to a total of 1025 acres after adding 282 acres from burnouts and is not expected to grow any larger. This low intensity fire from the burnout has succeeded in stopping all progress of the lightning caused wildfire which started on August 1st and eliminated excess fuel in this area of the forest. Today, fire crews will monitor and patrol the fire and make certain that all containment lines are secure.
Despite light rain falling on the fire the night before and considerable cloud cover during the day, the firing operation was very successful. “The cloud cover actually helped keep the fire behavior moderated as we burned out nearly 282 more acres” said Lance Martin Type III Incident Commander.
The public will continue to see smoke being produced from the interior of the fire. Islands of green [unburnt] fuel as well as large fuels such as logs and stumps will likely smolder and creep for some time. Visitors are reminded that, while there are currently no restrictions in the area, they should be aware that fire activity could increase at any time, and should avoid the area, if possible.
Updates and news releases are posted on Inciweb (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5481/) and the San Juan National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/sanjuan). For more information, please contact Chris Tipton, Columbine District Fire Management Officer at 970 884-1427, or the Columbine District Office at 970 884-2512
-USDA-
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.