(UPDATED at 11 p.m. MDT, June 29, 2014)
The Eightmile Fire was less active on Saturday than it was on Friday when it grew from about an acre to almost 500 acres. It started on Monday from a lightning strike and is being managed, rather than totally suppressed, as a confine/contain fire. Early Sunday morning a mapping flight determined that it had grown by about 29 acres over the last 26 hours, to 524 acres. The Incident Management Team is calling it 25 percent contained.
The pre-evacuation notice for the 16 residence in Red Rocks subdivision remains in effect. On Saturday aircraft dropped 140,253 gallons of water and 71,315 gallons of retardant. Firefighters are constructing fireline in one Division on the fire, and are “continuing to seek opportunities and scout areas for tactical options” on the other three.
While they are deciding what to do, the area is under a Red Flag Warning from Sunday at noon until 7 p.m. for strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels. The winds should be out of the west at 10 to 20 mph with the relative humidity at 10 percent. Monday will be a little cooler, less breezy, with a 20 percent chance of rain. **** (UPDATED at 8:48 a.m. MDT, June 28, 2014)
The Eightmile Fire 7 miles northeast of Cañon City, Colorado was mapped Friday night at 496 acres. It started from a lighting strike on Monday, June 23 and on Friday morning was still only about one acre in size. The fire is just east of Phantom Canyon Road (67), east of Eightmile Creek, and six miles west of Highway 115. It is burning on Bureau of Land Management land primarily in a Wilderness Study Area. The BLM is not totally suppressing the fire, but instead is employing a Confine/Contain strategy. Friday night the BLM issued this evacuation advisory:
The Fremont County Sheriff, in cooperation with Eightmile Fire managers, has issued a pre-evacuation notice for 16 residences in the Red Rocks Subdivision. Specifically, the residents on the west side of County Road 132 from mile marker 5 to mile marker 9.5. Residents are encouraged to be prepared to evacuate should the need arise. Again, this is a pre-evacuation notice only.
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team B with Incident Commander Dan Dallas assumed command of the Eightmile Fire at 6 a.m. MDT, Saturday, June 28. Continue reading “Colorado: Eightmile fire”
