Cameron Peak Fire

Cameron Peak Fire Update

Thursday, October 15, 2020 – 10:00 am

Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team

Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

Information Office: 970-541-1008

Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Email: 2020.cameronpeak@firenet.gov

Current Situation:

Yesterday, expected high winds and dry fuels created extreme fire conditions for firefighters and eliminated the opportunities to use air suppression resources. The Incident Management Team worked closely with the Larimer County Sheriff’s office to update evacuation orders as the fire pushed to the east. Firefighter and public safety remain our top priority as we work to protect the communities, businesses and infrastructure in the path of the fire.

In Branch I, the west wind aligned to have a lesser effect on the fire area to the north and west of Highway 14. One small spot fire near Joe Wright Reservoir in Division A/D was caught and secured. The spot fire on the NE corner of the fire south of Bellaire Lake, in Division F/L/R, has been fully contained and mopped up. The rest of Branch I continues to be in monitor and patrol status. Along Highway 14 through the middle of the fire, firefighters will patrol and monitor structures as safety concerns allow.

In Branch II, south and east of Highway 14, the strong westerly winds during the last 24 hours aligned with terrain to push the fire east of Pingree Park Road along the Buckhorn drainage and across CR 27. In anticipation of this, Division T and Division V resources were moved in position, and as the fire reached finer fuels and the wind slowed a bit, firefighters were able to catch forward progress just east of CR 27. Today, firefighters will continue working to keep the fire south of 44 H Buckhorn Road and west of CR 27. Communities to the east saw large smoke plumes and reduced air quality. Yesterday, a surge of 64 Type 1 structure engines began arriving to assist with holding the fire, assessing structures and providing point protection.

In Division X, fire managers are scouting farther to the south and east to identify possible contingency lines. Division U forces continued to work around the CSU Rocky Mountain Campus when possible, as egress has become a safety issue. They will also be scouting and developing contingency lines to the south of Signal Mountain to prevent further fire movement towards the Glen Haven area. The area of the fire in Rocky Mountain NP in Division W/Z will be monitored by air today weather permitting.

A Structure Protection Group is working to the north of the fire assessing structures and conducting point protection. In Branch II, structure protection will assess, and if necessary protect, structures to the east of CR 27 and to the south in and near the communities of Glen Haven, Cedar Park, and Estes Park.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Although the winds will not be as strong as yesterday, they will again play a significant role in fire behavior. If winds align with terrain again today, fire behavior could challenge firefighters. The incident meteorologist is predicting a Red Flag Warning to begin at 11 am tomorrow. Please monitor Facebook and Inciweb as we provide real time updates from the fire line.

Evacuations and Closures: For updates, text the word LCEVAC to 888777 from your cell phone. Emergency information will be forwarded as needed. This is the best way to get information about the situation in your area.

Larimer County evacuations and road closures: https://nocoalert.org

Arapaho Roosevelt National Forests closures: https://www.fs.usda.gov/arp/alerts-notices/?aid=60887

Rocky Mountain National Park closures: https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/fireinformation-and-regulations.htm

Temporary Flight Restriction (TRF): A TFR is in place over the Cameron Peak Fire. 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 can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Cameron Peak Fire Statistics:

Size: 164,140 acres

Containment: 56%

Total Personnel: 1,011

Location: 2 miles SW of Red Feather Lakes, CO

Reported: August 13, 2020

Cause: Under investigation

For More Information:

 Information Office: 970-541-1008    8 am to 8 pm

 Email: 2020.cameronpeak@firenet.gov

 InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964

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

• Cameron Peak Fire Map 10/15 (pdf 4,756 kb)
• Cameron Peak Update 10/15 (pdf 412 kb)