The East Canyon Fire on the La Plata and Montezuma county border has sparked evacuations, new pre-evacuation orders to three miles east of Cherry Creek Road, and closed U.S. Highway 160.
ABOUT 50 RESIDENCES IN WEST LA PLATA COUNTY AND EAST MONTEZUMACOUNTY WERE ORDERED TO EVACUATE AS A LIGHTNING-CAUSED FIRE CONTINUESTO ADVANCE IN THE CHERRY CREEK AREA. YOU'RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWSNETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY CHOICE BUILDING SUPPLY ACE HARDWARE INCORTEZ AND ALPINE BANK IN DURANGO. THE STORM ON JUNE 13TH BROUGHTMUCH-NEEDED MOISTURE TO SOUTHWEST COLORADO BUT NOT ENOUGH TOCOUNTERACT THE LIGHTNING STRIKES THAT IGNITED FIRES THROUGHOUT THEREGION, TWO OF WHICH CONTINUE TO BURN OUT OF CONTROL ON FEDERALLANDS. THE EAST CANYON FIRE, LOCATED ABOUT A MILE-AND-A-HALF SOUTH OFU.S. HIGHWAY 160 IN THE CHERRY CREEK DRAINAGE HAD GROWN TO 11 HUNDREDACRES ON BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LAND AND PRIVATE LAND AS OF 8 A.M.ON MONDAY MORNING. THE DURANGO INTERAGENCY TYPE THREE TEAM HAD 60FIREFIGHTERS ON THE SCENE, INCLUDING THREE HELICOPTERS, A VERY LARGEAIRTANKER, TWO AIR TANKERS AND TWO SINGLE-ENGINE AIRTANKERS,ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE FROM INCIDENT COMMAND. THE FIRE ISLOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF WEBER CANYON AND THE WEST SIDE OF CHERRYCREEK. FIRE-FIGHTING EFFORTS ARE ATTEMPTING TO CONTAIN THE FIRE EASTOF MONTEZUMA COUNTY ROAD 46 WHERE THE ELK SPRINGS AND ELK STREAMSUBDIVISIONS ARE LOCATED; SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 160; AND WEST OF LAPLATA COUNTY ROAD 105, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CHERRY CREEK ROAD. LA PLATACOUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER MEGAN GRAHAM SAID ABOUT 20RESIDENCES IN LA PLATA COUNTY AND 25 IN MONTEZUMA COUNTY HAVE BEENORDERED TO EVACUATE. PRE-EVACUATION NOTICES HAVE BEEN ORDERED FORTHE ELK STREAM SUBDIVISION, MONTEZUMA COUNTY ROAD 46, AND THE EASTCOUNTY SUBDIVISION IN LA PLATA COUNTY. PAM WILSON, PUBLIC INFORMATIONOFFICER FOR THE DURANGO INTERAGENCY TYPE THREE INCIDENT MANAGEMENTTEAM, FIRE EQUIPMENT AND TEAM MEMBERS HAD BEEN POSITIONED IN HESPERUSAREA FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR FIRE RESPONSEAND FIRE-CAMP LOGISTICS USING APPROPRIATE PROTECTIONS FOR COVID-19. ATYPE 2 FEDERAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM IS EXPECTED TO ASSUME COMMANDOF THE EAST CANYON FIRE BY WEDNESDAY, BRINGING MORE RESOURCES TOFIGHT THE FIRE. THE LOADING PEN FIRE ON THE DOLORES RANGER DISTRICT,ALSO CAUSED BY LIGHTNING, HAD GROWN TO ABOUT 25 ACRES AS OF SUNDAYNIGHT. IT'S ALSO MANAGED BY A LOCAL TYPE 3 INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM,AND RESOURCES INCLUDE TWO INTERGENCY HOT-SHOT CREWS, AN ENGINE, WITHSUPPORT FROM HELICOPTERS AND SINGLE ENGINE AIR TANKERS. THE FIRE ISLOCATED NEAR STONER BETWEEN TAYLOR AND HAYCAMP MESAS. AN AIR-QUALITYADVISORY FROM INCREASED SMOKE HAS BEEN ISSUED BY SAN JUAN BASINPUBLIC HEALTH. FIREFIGHTERS ON BOTH FIRES FACE A WINDY, BLUSTERY DAYAND RED FLAG WARNINGS THROUGH TUESDAY. FIRE BANS REMAIN IN EFFECT ONALL FEDERAL AND COUNTY LANDS IN LA PLATA, MONTEZUMA AND DOLORESCOUNTIES. FOR REGULAR UPDATES, VISIT MONTEZMA LOCAL DOT NEWS ANDDURANGO LOCAL DOT NEWS. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR THE LOCAL NEWSNETWORK.
