Spring Creek Fire 20% contained, 2,859 acres burned
Crews began to make progress on the Spring Creek Fire burning in Garfield County. On Wednesday afternoon, the wildfire was 20% contained and had burned 2,859 acres south of Parachute in the latest update provided by the Bureau of Land Management and White River National Forest.
"Yesterday we were expecting the worst, and we got the best," Eric Coulter, PIO for Spring Creek Fire told CBS News Colorado. "We are up for another day of that. We are preparing if this does make another run, we have the resources here."
The fire started June 24 when firefighters and crews from the air worked to keep the fire to about 200 acres where it was burning on a mix of private and Bureau of Land Management-administered land.
Unfortunately, hot, dry and windy conditions fueled the fire on June 26, Monday, when it grew to more than 2,500 acres.
"It's fuel-driven, wind-driven, or terrain-driven," Coulter explained. "Out in this country we have a lot of those conditions and that is what we saw; steep country with a lot of fuel load and a lot of wind to see that significant growth."
Wednesday is another Red Flag Warning for the area where the Spring Creek Fire is burning, which will make it more difficult for crews fighting the fire. The Red Flag Warning continues until 8 p.m. for elevations below 7,500 feet. The Spring Creek Fire is producing smoke that may affect air quality. For information on current air quality and related health concerns, visit Garfield-county.com/air-quality or fire.airnow.gov.
The fire has been burning to the south and away from Parachute. It is burning grass, oak brush and pinon-juniper.
Crews are focusing efforts on the northeast side of the fire between the fire's edge and the town of Parachute, where there is oil and gas infrastructure.
There are 363 personnel fighting the fire. More fire resources have been ordered and continue to arrive. Air resources including helicopter and retardant delivery aircraft will continue to assist firefighters on the ground.
For Carolyn Vaughan, a local Parachute resident, she says watching the smoke on the hillside is centering her on what she needs to worry about in life.
"How unimportant material things are and how important our lives and the lives of people around us and wildlife and our animals are," Vaughn said, laughing. "How unimportant everything else is."
She's been watching the fire from the start while taking care of her husband at home who doesn't move as well as he used to. After visiting with fire crews at the command center on the edge of town, she said she feels confident that things are moving in the right direction, despite the wind.
"These people are pros," Vaughan said, mentioning the firefighting crews. "I'm reassured."
No evacuations have been ordered as of Wednesday afternoon.
In the latest update, fire authorities said, "Spring Creek Road and High Mesa Road are open to local traffic only. Please avoid these areas if possible and drive with caution with increase in fire personnel on the roadway."
Official briefings are being posted on Facebook on the upper Colorado River interagency fire management page online https://www.facebook.com/UCRFireManagementUnit.