Above: map showing minimum relative humidity levels predicted for Saturday in the Western United States. Red Flag Warning areas are in Utah and Northern California. NWS.
The official Red Flag Warnings for Saturday only include portions of Utah and Northern California, but low humidities will be prevalent across most of the southwest one-quarter of the country. Generally, the winds will not be especially strong, which is probably what kept the Red Flag Warning areas from being larger than they are.
Very high to extreme fire danger levels are predicted for large portions of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, as well as the lower elevations in Northern California.
Predicted fire danger for Saturday.Predicted Fire Weather Outlook for Saturday. NWS.Red Flag Warnings for Saturday.Sustained wind speeds predicted for 3 p.m. Saturday. NWS.
Above: The Spring Creek Fire, based on data from 1 p.m. MDT June 30, 2018. (Cropped by Wildfire Today from a map prepared by the Incident Management Team, with a modified legend.)
(Updated at 8 a.m. MDT July 1, 2018)
The Spring Creek Fire grew by about 7,000 acres Saturday to bring the size up to 41,292 acres. We don’t have a product from an overnight mapping flight due to clouds that obscured most of the fire, trapping the heat signatures that would normally be detected by sensors on the aircraft.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered on June 30 for the area north and east of Trinchera Ranch Road, and south of Highway 160 in the Fort Garland area. There is an evacuation shelter at the Blanca Fort Garland Community Center.
CLICK HERE to see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Spring Creek Fire.
The map produced by the Incident Management Team (IMT) for Sunday indicates that none of the perimeter has any held or contained fireline, and reports issued also show zero percent containment. If accurate, this is unusual for a fire that has been burning for five days and has 480 personnel assigned, including 10 hand crews, 32 engines, and 7 helicopters. But as we have often stated, containment numbers issued by some IMTs are notoriously unreliable.
As the fire expands over a larger area, the command and control becomes more difficult. To mitigate this, a second IMT has been mobilized.
The current IMT, with Incident Commander Shane Greer, explained how this will work:
This increased staffing and additional management will allow fire managers to continue implementing strategies and tactics that prioritize firefighter and public safety while working to protect values at risk. Tomorrow, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Blue will arrive and begin coordinating with Team Black management to ensure a successful transfer of information. It is expected that, on Monday, the fire will be split into two separate management areas. The current Team Black will remain in command of all fire areas south of Highway 160. The incoming Team Blue will take command of all fire areas north of Highway 160. The two teams will work in very close coordination to ensure the public continues receiving accurate and consistent information.
A public meeting is scheduled for Sunday, July 1 at 6:00 p.m. Fire officials will provide updates about the ongoing suppression efforts and respond to questions from the audience. The meeting will be at the La Veta High School Gymnasium (109 E. Garland Street, La Veta, Colorado). Space is limited. The meeting will also be streamed on Facebook live.(www.facebook.com/springfire2018).
Spring Creek Fire, uploaded by the Incident Management Team June 29.
(UPDATED at 6:28 p.m. MDT June 30, 2018)
Here is a map showing heat detected on the Spring Creek Fire at 1:01 p.m. MDT June 30, 2018.
Map showing heat detected on the Spring Creek Fire at 1:01 p.m. MDT June 30, 2018.
CDOT reports that the closure of US 160 between Fort Garland and La Veta and the closure of CO 12 between Cuchara and La Veta, will continue. The fire is now pretty well established on the north sides of Highway 160 and Mt. Maestas. There has been growth there, as well as on the southeast side in the last 18 hours. The west side close to Hwy. 160 is remaining pretty stable.
3-D map of the Spring Creek Fire looking west, from data collected at 9:58 p.m. MDT June 29, 2018. The actual maximum perimeter is not shown in all places, however the extent of the fire should be current on the north, east, and southeast sides. All areas with active fire are shown.
(Originally published at 6:41 a.m. MDT June 30, 2018)
The Spring Creek Fire 51 miles southwest of Pueblo, Colorado has grown closer to the small town of La Veta, population 800. A mapping flight at 9:58 p.m. Friday showed that it was three miles west of the community. On the other side of the fire it was eight miles southwest of Fort Garland.
It has crossed Highway 160, which is closed at La Veta Pass, and is working its way up Mt. Maestas. Near the top of the 11,000-foot ridge on the mountain there is much less fuel, which slows the fire. Firefighters are no doubt hoping to extinguish any spot fires that may cross the ridge and they will want to keep the fire from burning around the forested lower-slopes on the east and west sides.
Map of the Spring Creek Fire, from data collected at 9:58 p.m. MDT June 29, 2018. The actual maximum perimeter is not shown in all places, however the extent of the fire should be current on the north, east, and southeast sides. All areas with active fire are shown.
Officially, the fire is 33,956 acres, but that is based on information from Friday afternoon at 2:40 as determined by Colorado’s MultiMission Aircraft. Overnight mapping by a U.S. Forest Service aircraft puts it closer to 38,000 acres. Most of the fire is on private land, with smaller portions on BLM, State, and U.S. Forest Service areas.
The correct name of the fire is “Spring Creek”, but more often it is referred to as the “Spring Fire”.
As we approach the Fourth of July, the National Interagency Fire Center has produced a public service announcement to warn people about the dangers of fireworks.
These photos show the location of the wildfires in Colorado, via the heat sensors on satellites. The one above was taken at 1:57 p.m. MDT June 29 when the 416 Fire looked quite active. The Spring Creek Fire was mostly obscured by clouds, but the heat sensor was able to get a peek at it when a hole in the clouds passed over. The data in the map below was from 4:36 a.m. MDT June 29.
Satellite data collected at 4:36 a.m. MDT June 29, showing the heat on the Spring Creek and 416 Fires in Colorado. The red dots are the most current. Click to enlarge.
Sky lantern release in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Photo by Takeaway.
In the United States July 4 is a holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. For many people it involves fireworks which can be beautiful when conducted by professionals at an organized event, but can be dangerous in the hands of those buying them at tents set up on the side if the road, causing injuries and starting fires.
An especially hazardous device that can be classified as fireworks are sky lanterns. The Jefferson City, Missouri Times Tribune has an editorial, warning about the dangers of fireworks. Below is an excerpt:
…Sky lanterns are another concern. Like other fireworks, they’re illegal to release inside the city limits. However, that hasn’t stopped some people from using the pretty-but-potentially-dangerous items.
Once a sky lantern is lit, the hot air lifts it into the air.
The flaming lantern can travel more than a mile from its starting point.
Wind can affect the sky lantern, blowing the sides, forcing the hot air out and sending it back to the ground, while still burning. A flaming lantern can drop onto a rooftop, field, trees or power lines before the flame is fully extinguished. A destructive fire can result when a flaming lantern reaches the ground during dry conditions.
Obviously, sky lanterns are potential fire hazards beyond other fireworks.
We urge you to avoid them, and to follow the fireworks laws in general.
Above: 3-D Map of the Pawnee Fire looking north at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. The shaded areas indicate where the fire was very active.
(Originally published at 8:52 a.m. PDT June 26, 2018 (UPDATED at 1:27 p.m. PDT June 26, 2018)
The Pawnee Fire in Lake County, California continued to spread actively south and east Monday. It has not spotted across Indian Valley Reservoir, but burned around the south end of it in a long finger that ran uphill for 2.5 miles and kept going when it crossed Bartlett Springs Road at the top of a ridge. Additional spread to the east beyond that point should be slower on the downhill slope to the valley below.
The Governor’s office has declared a state of emergency for Lake County. According to CAL FIRE the Pawnee Fire has destroyed 22 structures and 600 others remained threatened. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for the entire Spring Valley community which is now virtually surrounded by blackened hills. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has more information about evacuations.
Monday afternoon CAL FIRE reported that the fire had burned 10,500 acres, and Tuesday morning updated it to 11,500 — which is a very conservative number.
The weather forecast for the rest of this week for the fire area does not predict any extreme fire weather, with highs around 90, wind less than 10 mph, and relative humidity in the teens or low 20s. However, these conditions will not cause the fire to lie down. Firefighters will still have their hands full.
During the previous three years residents of Lake County have been seriously threatened by three other fires, the Rocky and Valley Fires of 2015 and the Clayton Fire of 2016. It is possible that the Pawnee Fire could burn into the footprint of the Rocky Fire, slowing its spread to the southeast.
Map of the perimeter of the Pawnee Fire at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. Also shown are the perimeters of the Rocky (2015), Valley (2015), and Clayton (2016) Fires.
Resources assigned to the fire include:
110 Engines
35 Hand crews
15 Helicopters
58 Dozers
10 Water tenders
1,422 personnel, total
Map of the perimeter of the Pawnee Fire at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. The shaded areas indicate where the fire was very active.
