Updated 6:55pm 6/21 Denver Post
Cloud cover and a shift in the wind offered hope to firefighters and residents that a raging wildfire may not reach the town of South Fork.
As of 5:40 p.m. winds had shifted their direction, which was a welcomed sign, said Bruce Palmer, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service.
Still, fire crews are stationed around town should the situation change, he said.
As of 3:30 p.m., Friday, the fire had not reached the town, but there was a lot of smoke, Mayor Kenneth Brooke said.
All residents were ordered to evacuate the town, but, as of this morning, not all had left, he said.
“That may have changed,” Brooke said Friday afternoon.
The West Fork Complex, a combination of two wildfires — West Fork
and Windy Pass fires — burning in steep, rugged terrain through beetle-killed spruce on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass is bearing down on South Fork, a Rio Grande County town of about 400 people.
In the summer, the town and surrounding area population can swell to about 4,000 with campers and vacationers.
The fire, which has burned 29,900 acres, moved about seven miles on Thursday.
On Friday morning, it was about seven miles southwest of the town and moving in a northeast direction, said Penny Bertram, a West Fork fire spokeswoman with the National Incident Management Organization team.
“The probability of success with the fire will depend on — what it’s going to do, where it’s going to go,” Bertram said.
The town, which was ordered to evacuate by 10 a.m. Friday, is bracing for an onslaught.
“We are reaching out for a lot of resources,” Bertram said. “We are staffing up for resources in town for structure protection.”
There were 275 personnel working the fire on Friday.
A red flag fire warning for the area has been issued Friday by the National Weather Service. It’s the third red flag day in a row. Conditions remain dangerous and fire can spread rapidly.
“The fire is again expected to make significant runs,” fire officials said in a Friday morning media release.
The speed, size and intensity of the fire has officials gravely concerned.
“We can’t put people out in front of it,” Bertram said.
The West Fork fire and Windy Pass fire were both started by lightning; West Fork on June 5 and Windy Pass on June 13.
The fires combined on June 16, according to fire officials.
The fire more than doubled in size Thursday, from 12,000 acres to 29,900 acres.
“The fire behavior we saw Thursday was so extreme, it was undocumented and unprecedented,” said Eric Norton, fire behavior analyst for the NIMO team.
Air support has been limited by smoke, winds and the extreme heat of the fire. Water and slurry drops on Thursday evaporated before hitting the ground, Bertram said.
Four helicopters are available to fight the fire Friday.
The American Red Cross opened a shelter Thursday night at Del Norte High School, 1055 9th Street, Del Norte, for evacuees of the West Fork fire. Three people stayed the night, but more are expected Friday with the town’s evacuation.
There’s a public meeting about the fire at 7 p.m. at the Community Center of Pagosa Springs, 451 Hot Springs Blvd., fire officials said.
There are multiple road closures in the area including U.S. Highway 160 from South Fork to Treasure Falls.
Read more:West Fork Complex: Wind shift offers hope to save South Fork from fire – The Denver Posthttps://www.denverpost.com/coloradowildfires2013/ci_23510002/town-south-fork-ordered-evacuate-because-wildfire#ixzz2Wtzc7oNO
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Fire conditions in southwestern Colorado on Friday are primed to push a raging wildfire into the town of South Fork.
As of 3:30 p.m., Friday, the fire had not reached the town, but there was a lot of smoke, Mayor Kenneth Brooke said.
“Fire crews are stationed around town,” he said.
All residents were ordered to evacuate the town, but, as of this morning, not all had left, he said.
“That may have changed,” Brooke said Friday afternoon.
The West Fork Complex, a combination of two wildfires — West Fork and Windy Pass fires — burning in steep, rugged terrain through beetle-killed spruce on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass is bearing down on South Fork, a Rio Grande County town of about 400
In the summer, the town and surrounding area population can swell to about 4,000 with campers and vacationers.
The fire, which has burned 29,900 acres, moved about seven miles on Thursday.
On Friday morning, it was about seven miles southwest of the town and moving in a northeast direction, said Penny Bertram, a West Fork fire spokeswoman with the National Incident Management Organization team.
“The probability of success with the fire will depend on — what it’s going to do, where it’s going to go,” Bertram said.
The town, which was ordered to evacuate by 10 a.m. Friday, is bracing for an onslaught.
“We are reaching out for a lot of resources,” Bertram said. “We are staffing up for resources in town for structure protection.”
There were 275 personnel working the fire on Friday.
A red flag fire warning for the area has been issued Friday by the National Weather Service. It’s the third red flag day in a row. Conditions remain dangerous and fire can spread rapidly.
“The fire is again expected to make significant runs,” fire officials said in a Friday morning media release.
The speed, size and intensity of the fire has officials gravely concerned.
“We can’t put people out in front of it,” Bertram said.
The West Fork fire and Windy Pass fire were both started by lightning; West Fork on June 5 and Windy Pass on June 13.
The fires combined on June 16, according to fire officials.
The fire more than doubled in size Thursday, from 12,000 acres to 29,900 acres.
“The fire behavior we saw Thursday was so extreme, it was undocumented and unprecedented,” said Eric Norton, fire behavior analyst for the NIMO team.
Air support has been limited by smoke, winds and the extreme heat of the fire. Water and slurry drops on Thursday evaporated before hitting the ground, Bertram said.
Four helicopters are available to fight the fire Friday.
The American Red Cross opened a shelter Thursday night at Del Norte High School, 1055 9th Street, Del Norte, for evacuees of the West Fork fire. Three people stayed the night, but more are expected Friday with the town’s evacuation.
There’s a public meeting about the fire at 7 p.m. at the Community Center of Pagosa Springs, 451 Hot Springs Blvd., fire officials said.
There are multiple road closures in the area including U.S. Highway 160 from South Fork to Treasure Falls.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822,knicholson@denverpost.comortwitter.com/kierannicholson
Read more:West Fork Complex fire bearing down on South Fork, town evacuated – The Denver Posthttps://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23510002/town-south-fork-ordered-evacuate-because-wildfire#ixzz2WtV5ngdY
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