The Gold Mountain Fire entered southwestern Gunnison County by Monday morning, prompting a mandatory evacuation there as Montrose County issued a voluntary evacuation notice for another area threatened by the nearly 28,000-acre fire.
Gunnison County Emergency Management issued a mandatory evacuation for Zone 32, which includes the Bear Claw, Silver Jack, Eagle’s Rest and Little Bighorn subdivisions. The county described the situation as life-threatening and told residents to leave immediately.
Zone 32 covers the area south of Storm King and east of Cimarron Ridge to County Road 864A in the Cimarron Valley and the U.S. Forest Service boundary.
Gunnison County also placed Zone 33 under a voluntary evacuation notice. That area includes properties along Johnson Park Road and Little Cimarron Road within an area generally east of County Road 864A, west of Big Blue Creek, south of the intersection of County Roads 883 and 864 and north of the Forest Service boundary.
The evacuation orders were issued after the Gold Mountain Fire crossed into southwestern Gunnison County Monday morning. Zone 32 had previously been under a voluntary evacuation notice, while Zone 33 had been under a pre-evacuation notice.
The Montrose County Sheriff’s Office also issued a voluntary evacuation for Zone 34, including properties south of the P77 Road and Cimarron Road intersection and properties along P77 Road up to one mile north of the intersection.
Residents in Zone 34 may leave if they feel unsafe or need additional time to evacuate, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
An evacuation shelter has been established at Ridgway Secondary School, 1200 Green St. The Montrose County Fairgrounds, 1001 N. Second St., has been established as an evacuation location for livestock and other large animals. People bringing animals are asked to call 970-355-3286 first, and veterinary checks are required for animals entering the fairgrounds.
The evacuation notice came as the Gold Mountain Fire reached 27,698 acres and 3% containment Monday morning. A total of 824 personnel were assigned to the fire, which is burning about 2 miles northeast of Ouray.
The fire started June 27 at 5:33 p.m. Its cause remains undetermined.
Lighter winds and improved conditions Sunday allowed firefighters to begin strategic firing operations between Baldy Peak and County Road 12, according to Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3.
The operations are intended to strengthen indirect containment lines in areas where firefighters can safely work and prevent the fire from spreading toward communities and other values at risk, including Ridgway, Ouray, the U.S. 550 corridor and communities north and northwest of the fire.
Firefighters continued the firing operations overnight and worked to reinforce lines established earlier in the day. Additional firing operations could take place over the next several days if conditions allow.
Firefighters also established the first reported containment on the fire’s southwest perimeter. Crews made progress establishing containment in the area while protecting Ouray and the U.S. 550 corridor and will continue patrolling and mopping up hot spots.
Additional firefighting resources allowed the incident management team to create two new operational divisions. Division F covers the Cow Creek and Little Owl Creek area, while Division R is west of Little Cimarron Road.
The smaller operational areas are intended to allow firefighters to concentrate suppression efforts and increase protection for communities and other areas at risk.
On the western perimeter, firefighters continued securing indirect confinement lines from Cutler Creek north toward County Road 12. Crews were also preparing indirect lines farther north for additional strategic firing operations if conditions allow.
On the northern perimeter, firefighters were preparing indirect lines and implementing structure protection. Crews north of Lou Creek were constructing indirect confinement lines intended to protect structures and other areas at risk west toward Ridgway Reservoir.
North of Silver Jack, firefighters were scouting locations for direct or indirect fireline to reduce threats to structures in the Bear Claw and Silver Jack subdivisions. Crews west of Little Cimarron Road were constructing indirect confinement lines for possible future firing operations.
On the eastern and southern perimeter, firefighters were working to limit growth toward Bridalveil Creek and identifying structures and other areas requiring protection.
Monday’s forecast called for temperatures between 82 and 86 degrees, relative humidity of 15% to 19% and light west-southwest winds of 4 to 6 mph with gusts up to 13 mph.
The forecast also included a 30% chance of afternoon thunderstorms capable of producing erratic winds and dry lightning.
Smoke from two major fires blankets Montrose
Smoke from both the Gold Mountain Fire and the Cottonwood Fire in Utah continued to blanket Montrose on Monday, pushing air quality into the very unhealthy category.
Some air quality sensors in Montrose were reporting AQI readings in the 220s as of about 10:30 a.m. Monday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as very unhealthy.
Montrose City Hall and some county offices were providing KN-95 masks as of Monday.
The city’s overall air quality forecast for Monday was 189, within the unhealthy category, but real-time readings at some locations had already climbed well above that level by midmorning.
The Cottonwood Fire had grown to 95,807 acres Monday and was 47% contained.
The fire is burning on the Fishlake National Forest near Beaver, Utah. A total of 1,289 personnel were assigned to the fire, which started June 22. Its cause remains under investigation.
Firefighters continued mop-up operations Sunday around Eagle Point, Oak Creek and the South Fork of North Creek. Crews also finished handline around the LeBaron Meadows area.
The fire remained active until about 2 a.m., and firefighters used infrared flights to locate remote spot fires burning in timber. Aircraft were also used to work sections of the fire that were difficult for ground crews to reach.
On Monday, firefighters planned to continue building handline toward the Little Twist burn scar and conducting mop-up operations in several areas. Crews were also using infrared flights and unmanned aircraft systems to locate individual spot fires within the fire perimeter.
Great Basin Team 5 identified Monday as a day of concern because of increased chances for convection and lightning. Thunderstorms could produce outflow winds exceeding 45 mph.
A Fire and Fuels Advisory was also in effect across Utah because of low fuel moisture and the potential for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth.
The strong and erratic winds associated with thunderstorms could rapidly change smoke conditions across the region.
Air quality in Montrose was forecast to improve considerably Tuesday, with an AQI of 81, within the moderate category. Moderate air quality was forecast to continue through the remainder of the week. But conditions can also change rapidly.
The official Gold Mountain Fire information line is 970-355-3286 and is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
