Smoke Advisory Issued for Montrose County as Gold Mountain Fire Continues to Grow
The Montrose County Sheriff’s Office has issued a pre-evacuation notice for a portion of the Gold Mountain Fire area as the wildfire has grown to 18,005 acres under critical fire weather conditions.
The notice applies to evacuation Zone 34, which includes properties south of the intersection of P77 Road and Cimarron Road, as well as properties along P77 Road extending one mile north of the intersection.
The county stressed that no evacuation order is currently in effect for the area. However, residents are urged to begin preparing immediately in case conditions deteriorate.
“An evacuation order could come at any time,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Cimarron State Wildlife Area has also been closed to all public access until the pre-evacuation status is lifted.
According to Thursday’s update from the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3, the Gold Mountain Fire remains 0% contained and is being fought by 377 personnel. The fire, which started June 27 about two miles northeast of Ouray, expanded significantly Wednesday as critically dry conditions, warm temperatures and strong southwest winds fueled rapid fire growth.
Fire activity pushed primarily to the north and northeast of the existing perimeter, with most of the growth occurring in the Cow Creek and Owl Creek drainages. The fire also crossed Owl Creek Pass Road.
Firefighters continue working day and night to protect homes and other infrastructure while scouting and constructing potential containment lines where terrain and fire behavior allow. Crews are reinforcing firelines along the U.S. Highway 550 corridor and Cutler Creek Road, while heavy equipment and aircraft are being used to strengthen existing lines and identify opportunities for future containment. As of Thursday morning, the fire had stayed on the east side of Highway 550.
Another Red Flag Warning is in effect Thursday from noon until 8 p.m. The National Weather Service is forecasting southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph, temperatures between 80 and 84 degrees, and relative humidity as low as 6% to 11%. Fire officials warned those conditions could produce moderate to very high fire behavior by midday, with the potential for extreme fire behavior during the late afternoon. Authorities are urging residents to use extreme caution with any activity that could spark a wildfire, as the hot, dry and windy conditions create an elevated risk for rapid fire growth and spread.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has also issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke that includes Montrose County and much of western Colorado. The advisory is in effect from 9 a.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Friday.
CDPHE says smoke from large wildfires in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah could produce periods of moderate to heavy smoke across the region through at least Friday morning. People with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, older adults and young children are encouraged to stay indoors when smoke is heavy and limit outdoor activity. Officials advise that if smoke reduces visibility to less than five miles in a neighborhood, air quality has reached unhealthy levels.
Residents in the pre-evacuation area are encouraged to assemble go-kits containing medications, important documents, clothing and other essentials, and to make plans for pets and livestock. Firefighters and law enforcement personnel will continue providing updates if evacuation conditions change.
In addition to the Cimarron State Wildlife Area closure, portions of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands remain under emergency closure orders because of the fire.
Officials encourage residents to monitor evacuation updates, changing weather conditions and air quality forecasts as firefighters continue working to protect homes and limit the fire’s spread under what are expected to be some of the most challenging fire weather conditions of the week.
