CO 14/Poudre Canyon Closure-Cameron Peak Update 10.18.20

[Thom02099]

Another highway closure due to a fire that has exploded in size.
CO 14 through Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins is now closed due to the Cameron Peak fire in the area of Chambers Lake. Closure is at Rustic on the east side and in Walden on the west side, a distance of about 45 miles. Mandatory evacuations in the immediate area around Chambers Lake Campground, Tunnel Campground and Browns Park Campground in addition to a lot of boondocking areas along the Laramie River Road. Voluntary evacuations in the area closer to Rustic, included the Archer's Resort area, as well as the area west of Red Feather Lakes.

Fire has rapidly grown to over 1500 acres, and is in an area with a lot of beetle kill stands. Low humidity, winds and rough terrain are hampering firefighting efforts.

ETA: D'oh! Thought I posted this in Roads and Routes. Moderator, if you can move please?

[Thom02099]

A sad update to this post.

The Cameron Peak Fire has exploded to over 202,000 acres, now the largest fire in recorded Colorado history. Just from Friday 10.16.20 to now, 10.18.20, the fire expanded an incredible 37,000 acres.

Damage assessment is still on-going, but so far over 100 homes have been lost that they know of. The difficulty has been in emergency services personnel being able to get in to burn areas to assess the extent of damage. Some areas it's still just too dangerous to get in.

The fire maps that I've seen have previously shown areas like Rustic, Archer's Resort, Poudre City, Kinikinik, and Spencer Heights as being spared, but more recent maps show that all of these areas are within the burn area. Notably excluded is the Chambers Lake CG, and the Tunnel Campground. I cannot imagine that the Aspen Glen, Big South, and Big Bend CGs have survived. I don't know about Kelly Flats or the Narrows CGs. Fire crews have been working very hard to save the 80 buildings on the CSU Mountain Campus between Stove Prairie and Rustic.

As of this writing, the Horsetooth Mountain Park west of Fort Collins and the surrounding residential areas are under mandatory evacuations, as well as all of Rist and Redstone Canyons, the Stove Prairie Road area, and all of the Buckhorn Canyon area including Pennock Pass, which were included in the explosive fire growth of the past 48 hours. Also under mandatory evacuations is the Masonville area, the Glen Haven and Drake area in the Big Thompson Canyon, and Storm Mountain. US 34 is closed from the Dam Store outside of Loveland all the way to MP 85 outside of Estes Park.

I went up to Golden Gate Canyon SP this weekend and on the way up went through Boulder. The smoke was so intense in Boulder along CO 119/the Diagonal Hwy, that visibility was near zero and winds were blowing fiercely from the NW. I could feel the winds buffeting my trailer and was only going about 35mph. It was the most incredible sight I've ever seen from the result of a fire that was miles away.

Two other fires are now burning, one north of Jamestown in Boulder County, and another just reported within the past few hours near Ward, forcing the mandatory evacuation of Ward.

This has been an absolutely horrible fire season for Colorado, and the fire crews have done a remarkable job in protecting what they were able to protect, in the Red Feather Lakes, Crystal Lakes, and Glacier View areas. Terrain and weather has been difficult for them to deal with in the areas where the fire has exploded. Please keep our valiant fire fighters in your thoughts and prayers, and pray for a change in the weather...we can use all the good thoughts and positive energy out there.

[padredw]

This photo taken last Saturday, September 5. At first I thought this was a most unusual sunset. On the Bear Lake Road in RMNP.

[Thom02099]

Busskipper wrote:
How did the Snow do in helping put out the FIres??

It was a help. No fire spread noted. Fire location received around 14inches of snow, and there have been snow showers up there since the big snow. Temps are in the 30s during the day, dropping into the 20s at night, wind chills in the teens. Possibly hit 50s on Friday and a return of winds up there. The snows have dampened any fuel sources for a while, but the fire is certainly not knocked out. 1200 firefighters assigned and they've been able to get more fire lines established. Unfortunately, there has been some property losses, some historic buildings were destroyed. Sheriff's Department hopes to have a property loss assessment soon. I'm fearful for Spencer Heights, Poudre City and Rustic, all of which are in the fire zone.

[Busskipper]

How did the Snow do in helping put out the FIres??

[Thom02099]

All day Monday it was indeed "ashing" all over the Fort Collins/Loveland/Greeley/Windsor area. Visible accumulation, my truck and trailer were covered in it, and there was a odd coverage on the trees.

Pre-snow, the Cameron Peak Fire exploded again to over 102,000 acres. From Friday through Monday it went from 24,000 to that 102,000 acres, and according to the Sheriff it as doing runs measured in miles. The snow will give local authorities a chance to get in and see first hand what sort of destruction there's been to any structures in the area. They stated that there were some losses in the Rustic area, now they may be able to see how bad.

[4runnerguy]

gkainz wrote:
Hopefully the precip today will help get the fire(s) under control. Leadville was socked in with smoke yesterday, assuming from the Cameron Peak fire.

We were down south by Westcliffe and had thick smoke down there. I saw a satellite time lapse of yesterday and it looks like most of the smoke we had in the southern and central part of the state was from California fires.

My brother in Loveland said it was snowing ash all day yesterday.

After all the smoke we endured in Glenwood for a few weeks, it was distressing to find ourselves breathing it in again.
😞

[gkainz]

Hopefully the precip today will help get the fire(s) under control. Leadville was socked in with smoke yesterday, assuming from the Cameron Peak fire. Traffic eastbound on I-70 showed how many escaped the city this weekend. We booked through last night at Turquoise Lake, but since I had to be back in town early this morning (Tuesday), decided to play it safe and not take chances with the rain/snow/freezing weather forecast, and came home last night. 5 MPH from Silverthorne to the tunnel, and 5 MPH from Empire to Idaho Springs.

[Thom02099]

Just back from Labour Day weekend in Estes Park. Cameron Peak fire has exploded in size; was 24000 acres on Friday 09.04.20, now at over 40000 acres on Monday 09.07.20. CO 14 remains closed from around Kelly Flats west to Gould.

Yesterday, Sunday 09.06.20 Trail Ridge Rd closed at 3pm for several reasons. Heavy smoke from the fire was creating visibility issues AND the fire had moved into the northern reaches of Rocky. From the Alpine Visitors Center, one could see the fire immediately to the north and it was a frightening sight. Trail Ridge Rd will be closed indefinitely; Old Fall River Rd closed the day before.

There was also an increase in Ranger traffic as well as fire personnel traffic up on Trail Ridge. Was able to get in and make it to the Alpine Visitors Center, staff there warned that all visitors make sure they exited the park on the side on which they wanted to be, as there would be no re-entry to the park for the foreseeable future.

The community of Glen Haven (NE of Estes Park) is under a voluntary evacuation order, as is areas of the Poudre Canyon as far east as the Stove Prairie Rd, and the area around the CSU Mountain Campus. Fire lines have been built to try to protect Red Feather Lakes, Crystal Lakes, and Glacier View Meadows -- all areas more than 10 miles from the current fire location.

Winds were fierce up on Trail Ridge as well as in the town of Estes Park. Trailer was a rockin' in the wind, a bit unsettling this morning.

The GOOD NEWS is that SNOW is forecast for the entire area. Estes Park forecast calling for 7-11 inches of heavy wet snow. Fire location around Cameron Pass is calling for snow around 12-18 inches, whiche will certainly benefit the fire fighting operations. Earliest snow since September 3, 1961.

ETA: H E R E - Cameron Peak Fire is the official information on the fire, which has exploded to nearly 90,000 acres. NINETY THOUSAND. The Larimer County sheriff said that the fire burned 10 miles in a day, and mandatory evacuations are now approaching the Buckhorn Mountain area which is west of Fort Collins.

[Busskipper]

4runnerguy wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:

4runnerguy wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:
From personal knowledge and experience, there is a LOT of dead beetle kill trees in that area, so there's considerable fuel for the fire. We can only hope for some monsoon moisture to help the firefighters working this fire.

My memory is dimming daily, but wasn't there a fire that threatened the Chambers Lake area in maybe the late 80's/early 90's?

Hey Ken....you might be thinking of the Kilpecker Fire that was in the late 70s between Red Feather Lakes and the Laramie River Valley. Wasn't all that big in comparison to fires of today's measurement, but was a significant fire at the time. There's still scars from that fire visible west of Red Feather off the Deadman Road and the Green Ridge Road.

Maybe that's it. I just remember we were going to boondock up the Laramie River Road and it was closed due to a fire. Way too many years ago to remember all the details.

And if you search Chambers Lake and fire, all you get are results for the current fire,

You two - Thom and Ken - have forgotten more than most of us will ever know about Colorado - that said I will always listen to the two of you for the insight on everything in and about Colorado. It is always nice to read what both of you contribute to any discussion on the areas in and around Colorado and the Country.

The banter on a fire some 50 years ago is interesting and entertaining, as few if any of us have that much Local Knowledge on all things Colorado.

Ken may remember some 15 years ago I posted a Picture of Stagecoach Lake trying to remember where the image was - he ID'd it and also gave me a link to the history of the failed Ski Resort that had tried to make a go of it some years ago - Link to Stagecoach Lake Ski Resort - Interesting as that to was some 50 years ago.

Just a shout out to both of you - with a - Thank You - for all you contribute to the Forum.

Bill

[4runnerguy]

Thom02099 wrote:

4runnerguy wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:
From personal knowledge and experience, there is a LOT of dead beetle kill trees in that area, so there's considerable fuel for the fire. We can only hope for some monsoon moisture to help the firefighters working this fire.

My memory is dimming daily, but wasn't there a fire that threatened the Chambers Lake area in maybe the late 80's/early 90's?

Hey Ken....you might be thinking of the Kilpecker Fire that was in the late 70s between Red Feather Lakes and the Laramie River Valley. Wasn't all that big in comparison to fires of today's measurement, but was a significant fire at the time. There's still scars from that fire visible west of Red Feather off the Deadman Road and the Green Ridge Road.

Maybe that's it. I just remember we were going to boondock up the Laramie River Road and it was closed due to a fire. Way too many years ago to remember all the details.

And if you search Chambers Lake and fire, all you get are results for the current fire,

[Thom02099]

4runnerguy wrote:

Thom02099 wrote:
From personal knowledge and experience, there is a LOT of dead beetle kill trees in that area, so there's considerable fuel for the fire. We can only hope for some monsoon moisture to help the firefighters working this fire.

My memory is dimming daily, but wasn't there a fire that threatened the Chambers Lake area in maybe the late 80's/early 90's?

Hey Ken....you might be thinking of the Kilpecker Fire that was in the late 70s between Red Feather Lakes and the Laramie River Valley. Wasn't all that big in comparison to fires of today's measurement, but was a significant fire at the time. There's still scars from that fire visible west of Red Feather off the Deadman Road and the Green Ridge Road.

[4runnerguy]

Thom02099 wrote:
From personal knowledge and experience, there is a LOT of dead beetle kill trees in that area, so there's considerable fuel for the fire. We can only hope for some monsoon moisture to help the firefighters working this fire.

My memory is dimming daily, but wasn't there a fire that threatened the Chambers Lake area in maybe the late 80's/early 90's?

[Thom02099]

Update 08.22.20

Fire is now up over 16000 acres and jumped CO 14 and is now burning on the south side Poudre Canyon as well. CO 14 is closed from Rustic to Gould. All of the campgrounds in the Poudre have been closed as far east as the Stove Prairie Road area as well as Bellaire Lake CG outside of Red Feather Lakes (15 miles from the current fire activity). Oddly enough the Ranger Lakes, Bockman and Michigan Lake CGs in the State Forest SP are still open. Fire appears to be moving in an easterly direction, perhaps the reason they are still open.

H E R E is updated information from Incident Command website.

From personal knowledge and experience, there is a LOT of dead beetle kill trees in that area, so there's considerable fuel for the fire. We can only hope for some monsoon moisture to help the firefighters working this fire.

[JAC1982]

Yeah I ended up just booking a room at an Inn in Centennial, WY instead. We could camp up there, but I won't chance showing up on a Friday anywhere this year without a reservation. So far the Red Feather area is still safe but that's not somewhere I'd want to be stuck if the fire changes directions. Not a lot of ways out.