Bull Draw Fire

Unit Information

Uncompahgre Field Office
Bureau of Land Management
2465 S. Townsend Ave.
Montrose, CO 81401

Incident Contact

Bull Draw Fire Information
Email: 2018_coupd_bulldrawfire@firenet.gov
Phone: 970-578-0213

Highlighted Activity

08/16/2018 Bull Draw Fire Daily Update 8/16/18

Bull Draw Fire Update August 16, 2018 - 9:00 a.m. Minnesota Incident Command System Type 2 Blue Team Brian Pisarek, Incident Commander Bull Draw Fire Statistics: Start Date: July 29, 2018...

News - 08/16/2018

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Bull Draw Fire Update

August 16, 2018 - 9:00 a.m.

Minnesota Incident Command System Type 2 Blue Team

Brian Pisarek, Incident Commander

Bull Draw Fire Statistics:

Start Date: July 29, 2018 Location: 12 miles northwest of Nucla, CO Size: 27,320 acres

Percent Contained: 21% Total Personnel: 455 Cause: Lightning

Special Notes: BLM and National Forest lands, roads and trails affected by the Bull Draw Fire are closed to public use. Today, the closure area is being expanded. Along with this update you will find the expanded Closure Order for BLM lands. The expanded Closure Order for National Forest lands will be forthcoming. An updated map of the expanded closure area will be posted on the Bull Draw Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BullDrawFire/later today.

For early season hunters in Unit 61 who may be impacted by the Bull Draw Fire: If you have questions regarding your early season license options you can contact Colorado Parks & Wildlife at the Montrose office at 970-252-6000.

On Friday, the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and unincorporated lands within Montrose County will be implementing Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Unincorporated Mesa County remains in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Further information about fire restrictions will be released later today. Mesa County fire info: https://bit.ly/2MkFcQc For Montrose County fire info: https://bit.ly/2PgT3t9

Weather: Today’s weather outlook is for partly to mostly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Afternoon winds will be 5-10mph from the west to northwest, with gusts up to 15mph. Temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s on the ridge tops and upper 80s in the valleys. The relative humidity will drop to 17-22% this afternoon.

Current Situation: Yesterday, the fire grew 950 acres. Most of this growth was a result of the fire pushing further north into Deep Canyon, Willow Canyon and Beaver Branch. Today, upslope afternoon winds will facilitate the fire’s continuing northerly spread.

A masticator will be removing some unburned vegetation below the Campbell Point homes to lessen avenues for fire to again threaten the homes. Masticators are tracked pieces of equipment that can grind a standing 30-foot tree into chips in less than a minute. This, combined with “burnout” operations north of the homes, will complete our successful efforts to protect this group of homes.

When it is unsafe to build control lines directly on the fire’s edge, “indirect” control lines are built some distance away, often incorporating roads and natural fire barriers. “Burnouts” are only conducted when winds and other factors are favorable for directing the resulting heat and embers away from the control line. Once the vegetation adjacent to the indirect control line has been burned, it starves the approaching main fire of fuel, effectively stopping its spread.

Weather permitting, “burnout” operations will be conducted along the Divide Road from its junction with the Z 8 Road south to Monument Hill. A helicopter carrying a torch, which drops liquefied burning gel, will be used to “burnout” the unburned vegetation between the fire’s edge and our “indirect” control line along the Divide Road.

On the southeastern flank of the fire, a masticator pushed a fireline about ¾ mile down a spur ridge off the west side of the Divide Road. Yesterday, Hotshot crews extended their fireline around the southeastern corner of the fire’s perimeter. Today, these same Hotshot crews will be working downslope from the masticator fireline and upslope from the old 2004 Campbell fire scar in very rugged terrain. They anticipate closing the ½ mile gap between the two firelines later today.

Public health info: Smoke from various fires around the state of Colorado and other western states will continue to impact this area. For a detailed daily air quality summary, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx

Information Center: 970-578-0213 (hours of operation: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.)

For recorded info on area wildfires:

970-240-1070 (BLM Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit Information Line), and

970-874-6602 (GMUG Fire Information) which includes information on Forest Service road closures

Media Information Line: 720-593-9939

Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6059 Email: 2018.BullDrawFire@firenet.gov

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BullDrawFire/

Basic Information

Current as of
Incident Type	Wildfire
Cause	Lightning/natural
Date of Origin	Sunday July 29th, 2018 approx. 10:00 AM
Location	12 miles NW Nucla
Incident Commander	Brian Pisarek
Coordinates	38.457 latitude, -108.665 longitude

Current Situation

Total Personnel	455
Size	27,320 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained	21%
Estimated Containment Date	Saturday September 15th, 2018 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	Timber (Litter and Understory) Brush (2 feet)
Significant Events	Active Uphill Runs Short-range Spotting

Outlook

Planned Actions	Aerial burnout operations in north if conditions are favorable. Continue to extend, hold, and access future hand and dozer/masticator line opportunities. Preparations for indirect and direct line preparation.
Projected Incident Activity	12 hours: Continued threat to structures and private property at Campbell point, Spring Creek, Weimer Cow Camp and Meadow Ranch are in line with directions of spread. 24 hours: Anticipated threat to structures and private property. Thunderstorms, outflow winds. Thunderstorms and outflow winds with the potential to cause extreme fire behavior. Fire is spreading into the northwest into extremely steep and inaccessible terrain. Threat to communication tower and cow camp to the north exist.
Remarks	Mesa county acres burned- USFS 7800, BLM 2046, and Private 234. Montrose county acres burned- USFS 8929, BLM 7881, and Private 10.

Current Weather

Weather Concerns	Partly to mostly cloudy. There will be a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Maximum temperatures will top out between 84 and 89 degrees (cooler above 8500 feet: 78 to 83 degrees) with minimum relative humidity values of 17 to 22 percent. Winds will be downslope/downvalley to east/southeast at 2 to 6 mph in the early morning hours, becoming light and variable mid to late morning and then West to Northwest at 5 to 10 mph with gusts around 15 mph in the afternoon. The Haines Index will be a 5. LAL 4. CWR 10 percent.