Cameron Peak Fire

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

• 10/9/2020 Cameron Peak Fire Information Map (pdf 10,995 kb)
• 9/10/2020 Actualización de Cameron Peak Fire (pdf 169 kb)
• 10/9/2020 Cameron Peak Fire Information Update PDF (pdf 146 kb)