The hearth is estimated at 20-30 acres; the evacuations were canceled on Friday night
An air tanker falls on the Ute Pass fire northeast of Durango on Friday. This photo was taken facing east towards the fire. (Courtesy of Jamie Knight)
About 60 homes were evacuated northeast of Durango on Friday afternoon, where a wildfire raised a large column of smoke and chewed 20 to 30 acres of oak bushes and pine trees in two hours.
The fire, called Ute Pass Fire, was reported around 3:45 p.m. near Ute Pass Road in block 4000 of Florida Road (County Road 240).
At 9 pm on Friday, no structures were lost.
The evacuation order was revoked on Friday night, meaning residents were free to return home, said Hal Dauti chief of the Durango fire department.
The cause of the fire remains to be clarified. Doutie said he was unaware of any lightning in recent days that could cause the fire.
The fire was expected to break out on Friday night, which will allow firefighters to build manual lines and bulldozers to protect homes.
“This fire is by no means over,” Dauti said. “Winds of 30 mph are forecast for tomorrow (Saturday) and there will still be a lot of heat there on this hill.
“We bought some time today and have shaped this fire to some extent, so we are well prepared to be able to move with it and try to do some things early in the morning before the fire really starts,” he said.
A type III incident team will take control of the fire early Saturday. The incident team will have more members of the command staff and will be able to call for more resources to put out the fire, he said.
The fire in the Ute Pass was reported around 3:45 pm on Friday near Ute Pass Road in block 4000 on Florida Road (County Road 240). (Durango Fire Protection Area)
Firefighters responded to a wildfire that raised a large column of smoke northeast of Durango on Friday afternoon. (Photo courtesy)
The fire raised a large pillar of smoke, which was visible from Durango in the late afternoon and evening. It burned on or within a mile of private property, federal property and possibly state land, Dauti said.
“There are several different directional ridges that come together and are on many sides of several different aspects of the ridge,” he said. “So it’s a pretty complicated, pretty steep side where the fire is burning right now.”
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for Ute Pass residents and homes along County Road 237. Residents were directed to La Plata County’s fairgrounds for help, resources and updates.
A larger area was set up for pre-evacuation, which means residents were advised to be ready for evacuation at any time. Dozens of homes remained on Friday night before the evacuation.
La Plata County spokesman Ted Holtin said an emergency signal had been sent to more people than expected, warning them of an early evacuation.
The pre-evacuation signal is intended for areas on the south side of Florida Road, between Ute Pass and County Road 237, he said. The Edgemont ranch was not notified of the evacuation.
Map showing the mandatory evacuation area and the pre-evacuation area for the Ute Pass fire, northeast of Durango. Evacuation signals were raised shortly before 9 pm on Friday. (Courtesy of La Plata County)
La Plata County issued this preliminary evacuation card around 9pm on Friday for the fire in the Ute Pass.
Dauti said about 100 firefighters were on the scene. A helicopter, two heavy air tankers, two bulldozers and a flying plane were also called in to help.
Durango Police Commander Ray Shupp warned people not to fly drones near the forest fire, as they could obstruct planes and cut off air resources.
The fire was burning on a ridge between Ute Pass and Horse Bay, a recreation area known for its many mountain biking trails.
“There were homes he was close to,” Dauti said. “It wasn’t that the flames were licking the walls of the house, but there were homes that were close enough that they were definitely in danger.
He reminded residents that the pink and red flame retardant released by air tankers is just that – a retarder. It slows down the fire, but does not necessarily stop the fire.
Dauti said firefighters have everything they need and residents should not worry about donating supplies or snacks. If the fire spreads into a multi-day event, that could change, he said.
The best thing residents can do to help firefighters is to listen to firefighters’ instructions, especially regarding the lack of outdoor fires, and be especially wary of potential fires, he said.
“Our community, they’ve been through this before,” he said. “… We all just have to take responsibility to make sure we do everything we can to prevent these things.”
Herald staff writer Christian Bernie contributed to this report.
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