Start Date: 08/10/2020     
Location: Glenwood Canyon
Cause: Human                                         
Fire Size: 32,464 acres
Containment: 91%
Total Personnel: 383

Facebook Live Community Meeting tonight at 6 p.m. Tune in to www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO for updates and a live Q&A with the Alaska IMT, the Type 3 Upper Colorado River Fire Management Organization, the incoming Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team, local officials and cooperating agencies.

(EAGLE, Colo.) – The Upper Colorado River Fire Type 3 Organization will assume command of the fire on Wednesday, after shadowing the Alaska Incident Management Team today. The teams are working closely with
management agencies to ensure a smooth transition as priorities shift from suppression to suppression repair.

The Type 3 Organization will be working cooperatively with the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team. BAER Teams, composed of resource specialists, are brought in to determine the need for, prescribe and, if necessary, implement emergency treatments to stabilize burned areas and watersheds.

Containment reached 91% as the southern perimeter of the fire in Devil’s Hole Creek drainage was completed. Crews have been patrolling this section of line for days, cold-trailing and checking for heat. Temperatures are expected to peak around 50 degrees this morning as the cold front pushes in from the north, with showers beginning as early as sunrise. Temperatures are slated to fall steadily throughout the day, reaching
the 30s by early evening. Rain will turn to snow as forecast temperatures drop below freezing overnight, with accumulations from 2 to 6 inches, and higher amounts expected over 10,000 feet.

Safety Officer Mike Bradley urged firefighters to exercise caution as the freezing rain and snow will make for dangerous driving conditions around the fire. Wintry storms and the attendant slippery roads and poor visibility
are expected to continue into Wednesday and taper off.

Suppression repair continues around the fire, with excavators, dozers and hand crews working to return the fireline to a more natural state. Inclement weather is expected to slow progress.

The number of personnel working on the fire has dropped to 383. There are six crews, one helicopter, 21 engines, six excavators, five dozers, three water tenders and one skidgine still working on the fire.

Fire closure areas have been reduced by the White River National Forest and Colorado River Valley BLM office. Coffee Pot and Transfer Trail roads remain closed. Both closure orders and associated maps can be found here.

Interstate 70 remains open to two-way traffic. Go to cotrip.org for information on interstate closures.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire. Go to https://tfr.faa.gov for details

Fire information/media line: (970) 930-1850
Email: 2020.grizzlycreek@firenet.gov
inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/
https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO

Incident Commander: Norm McDonald 
Start Date: 08/10/2020                                     
Location: Glenwood Canyon
Cause: Human
Fire Size: 32,464 acres
Containment: 83%
Total Personnel: 548

(EAGLE, Colo.) – As predicted, warmer, drier conditions prevailed over the Grizzly Creek Fire, a trend that is forecast to continue and peak on Saturday with temperatures climbing to 90 degrees. However, control lines continued to hold strong on Thursday, as firefighters labored to build more containment line and strengthen existing line.

There was no change in acreage burned for the fifth day in a row while estimated containment climbed a single percent to 83%. Of the 78.5 miles of containment line around the fire, approximately 65 miles have been secured. Much of the remaining uncontained line will stay that way because it is too dangerous for firefighters to access.

“We’re on track to have suppression operations completed by Sunday,” reported Karen Scholl, operations planning chief for the Alaska Incident Management Team, which has command of the fire.

Even with temperatures in the mid 80s and relative humidities dipping into the 20% range, the fire showed little sign of life Thursday. A few visible smokes popped up behind Bair Ranch on the southeast side, as well as in the Grizzly and No Name creek drainages on the northwest corner. The heat in both areas was addressed with helicopter water drops. Interior portions of the fire will continue to put up random smokes until a season-ending rain or snow event.

With fire activity at a minimum, the main focus now is on repairing dozer lines constructed during initial and extended attack, commonly referred to as “suppression repair.” There are six excavators and six dozers tackling line rehab. So far, 31 miles of line have been repaired and there are another 7.5 miles pending. There are another 27.5 miles of potential line that are being assessed. Most suppression repair should be complete this weekend, with the exception of Transfer Trail Road. That last piece will take at least another week of work, Scholl said.

The hot, dry conditions will continue through the holiday weekend before a drastic change in the weather early next week. Forecasters are calling for sub-freezing temperatures and possible snow by Wednesday night as a cold front moves into the area late Monday. However, given the weekend forecast, fire managers say it is imperative that hunters, campers and others celebrating the holiday weekend be extremely careful with any activity that could spark a wildfire. A statewide fire ban remains in effect because of the tinder dry conditions in much of Colorado.

Fire closure areas were reduced on Thursday by the White River National Forest and BLM Colorado River Valley office. Coffee Pot and Transfer Trail roads remain closed, as well as areas of the Flat Tops Wilderness accessed by those roads. A new closure order and map for both agencies can be found on the White River NF website. For public and firefighter safety, motorists, recreationalists and hunters are asked to adhere to the closures.

Interstate 70 remains open. Expect periodic delays for firefighting operations and possible flash floods in the event of heavy rain. Go to cotrip.org for information on interstate closures.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire. Go to https://tfr.faa.gov for details.

Incident Commander: Norm McDonald 
Start Date: 08/10/2020                                     
Location: Glenwood Canyon
Cause: Human
Fire Size: 32,464 acres
Containment: 82%
Total Personnel: 603

Facebook Live Community Meetng tonight at 6 p.m. Tune in to https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO for updates and a live Q&A with the Alaska IMT, local officials and cooperating agencies.

(EAGLE, Colo.) – With no fire growth for the fourth straight day, the Alaska Type 1 Incident Management Team began mapping out a downward glide path for the Grizzly Creek Fire on Wednesday. Fire managers conferred with officials from the White River National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to determine future management plans for the 32,464-acre fire. The Alaska IMT is set to transfer command of the fire in five days and agencies representatives must decide whether to call in a Type 2 IMT or a smaller Type 3 team.

“This will help us get direction on what kind of end state agency administrators want when we leave here,” Alaska IMT Incident Commander Norm McDonald said of Wednesday night strategic analysis.
Containment on the fire reached 82% on Wednesday, an increase of 7%. For the fourth straight day, there was no increase in acreage. Crews have now secured approximately 64.5 of the 78.5-mile fire perimeter.

With warmer, drier conditions, the fire showed a slight pulse on Wednesday with a few visible, early-morning smokes in the French Creek drainage on the north side. The smoke was the result of pockets of isolated, unburned patches of conifers burning up on the interior of the fire. The hot spots were ¼ to ½ mile inside the perimeter and posed no threat.

“It’s a good indicator of what we’ll be seeing over the next four or five days,” Alaska IMT Operations Chief Jon Glover said, alluding to a warming, drying trend that is expected to spawn interior flare-ups of unburned fuel the next few days.

The increased containment – or black line – is the result of three hotshot crews finally securing a piece of rugged, stubborn line in the No Name Creek drainage north of Glenwood Springs that they have been toiling on for the past week. Another hotshot crew closed up a small chunk of open line in the Cinnamon Creek drainage on the south end of the fire. Elsewhere on the fire, crews continue mopping up secured fireline while heavy equipment is being used to repair and restore dozer lines carved out during initial and direct attack.

A large portion of the White River National Forest remains closed, as do some BLM and State of Colorado lands. Coffee Pot and Transfer Trail roads, as well as areas of the Flat Tops Wilderness accessed by those roads are closed. For public and firefighter safety, motorists, recreationalists and hunters are asked to adhere to the closures. For maps and closure info, go to White River NF closure area or BLM closure order and closure map.

Interstate 70 remains open. Expect periodic delays for firefighting operations and possible flash floods in the event of heavy rain. Go to cotrip.org for information on interstate closures.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire. Go to https://tfr.faa.gov for details.