Firefighters At Grizzly Creek Fire Anxious For Rain, Wary Of Wind

GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Stormy weather brewing around the Grizzly Creek Fire in Garfield County on Wednesday produced some rain but not enough to help firefighters. Matt Jeglum, the Incident Meteorologist for the Grizzly Creek Fire, said the air has been so dry, the incoming weather would produce more wind than rain.

"Because it's been so dry, on the ground because it hasn't rained, but also just the recent weather, the lower parts of the atmosphere are extremely dry," said Jeglum.

He says what could be rain turns into outflow winds, a serious threat to firefighters.

"The rain falls into this really dry lower atmosphere and then it evaporates. When it evaporates it gets cold, and when it gets cold, it get dense and heavy, and it falls and so you kind of get this column of cold air that when it hits the ground, it spreads out in every direction, any direction," he said. "It can create these winds that can be 60 mph or more and quite a danger for firefighters because of the rapid shifts and increasing speeds."

Just before the weather moved in Wednesday, CBS4 had the opportunity to tour the east side of Glenwood Canyon, where helicopters were making constant retardant drops on hot spots, visible throughout the area from Interstate 70.

Large tanks, used to mix the retardant, were placed in the westbound lane of I-70, near the community of No Name, which was still standing strong thanks to structure protection efforts.

Mike Ferris, the Public Information Officer for the Type 1 team on the Grizzly Creek Fire, showed media around the trailhead of Hanging Lake.

He said aerial photos appeared to show the fire burned around Hanging Lake, but had not destroyed the entire area.

"We've had aerial flights, recon flights over the fire, in particular over this portion of the forest, from what my understanding is, the fire did burn around hanging lake, it did not completely burn up to the edge of hanging lake. So a lot of the vegetation around Hanging Lake is scorched, but for the most part it's pretty much the way it was," said Ferris.

The problem, said Ferris, is the trees that are scorched which was visible right at the trailhead.

"Even in the parking lot as you can see, just adjacent to us, the fire really got hot. These trees in particular are hazard trees. They're gonna have to be cut."

He said with anticipated windy weather, it's likely many of the scorched trees could fall before they were cut.

"It's very possible, and that's why I have you guys in hard hats," he told CBS4.

Colorado has missed much of a critical monsoon season; Jeglum said the typical end to that season is the end of September so there is still a chance for more significant rainfall but pointed out, there is a large moisture deficit to make up for.

He said Thursday and Friday were expected to be dry with chances of moisture ramping up in the next week.

"We're talking seven to eight days out so there is still some uncertainty," said Jeglum.