Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland
U.S. Forest Service
2150 Centre Avenue Building E
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Cameron Peak Fire Update for Friday, October 9, 2020
Northwest Incident Management Team 6
Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander
Shane Theall, Deputy IC
Ken Paul, Deputy IC
Hot, Dry Weather Causes Cameron Peak Fire to Grow
Current Situation: Thursday saw another day of record temperatures, low humidity, and active fire behavior, resulting in mandatory evacuations of Pingree Park, Monument Gulch, and Buckhorn Road to Stove Prairie Road this morning. The fire above Comanche Reservoir exhibited extreme behavior and is moving toward the east. A Red Flag Warning was in effect for the fire area from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Crews continued around the fire perimeter to secure the lines and increase containment, despite the difficult fire weather conditions. Engines and firefighters continued mop up, searching for and extinguishing heat in the Sleeping Elephant Mountain and Long Draw Road areas after successful aerial burnout operations on Wednesday. Work continued on the contingency line around the CSU Mountain Campus and neighboring homes. Fire activity picked up in several areas along the highway 14 corridor around 3:00 p.m. prompting firefighters to shift focus to structure protection. Crews remained in the area to monitor and defend areas at risk overnight. Aerial operations continued with water and retardant north of Kinikinik and near Comanche Reservoir.
Today fire behavior is already very active after a fifth night with low humidity and little moisture recovery for vegetation. Crews will continue to focus on building and securing firelines, as well as mopping up around the perimeter. Firefighters face another day of extreme fire behavior in isolated areas. Fire activity will likely increase in the afternoon with the potential for increased smoke pushing to the south.
Weather Conditions: Friday’s weather should see increasing cloud coverage in the afternoon with highs of 63-73°F. Relative humidity is expected to be low at 8-12%. Winds will likely increase throughout the day with gusts of 20-25 mph. Saturday highs are expected to be around 60°F with breezy conditions ahead of a strong cold front set to move in Sunday. Elevated fire weather conditions are anticipated through Saturday.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): It is illegal to operate a drone in the fire area. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we are sure the drone is clear of the area. The use of drones is always prohibited in national parks. For more information please visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Statistics Summary:
Size: 131,231 acres
Containment: 44%
Total Personnel: 987
Location: 2 mi SW of Red Feather Lakes, CO
Reported: August 13
Cause: Under investigation
Fire Information: (970) 541-1008 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Media Inquiries: (970) 541-0563
Joint Info Center: (970) 980-2500 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CameronPeakFire
Interactive Story Map: https://arcg.is/1ayXeD0
Smoke Update: https://tinyurl.com/y2duao6r
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/cameronpeakfire
Closures and Evacuations:
Larimer County evacuations and road closures: https://nocoalert.org
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests fire closure area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=60887
Rocky Mountain National Park closures: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/fire-information-and-regulations.htm
Fire Restrictions:
Canyon Lakes Ranger District, Stage 2: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd801392.pdf
Rocky Mountain National Park, no fires: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/fire-information-and-regulations.htm
Larimer County ban until October 31: https://tinyurl.com/y332jsoy
Hunting Information:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife: cpw.state.co.us