Duango CO fire

[4runnerguy]

Just to alert those who are planning to visit the Durango area in the next few weeks. There is a forest fire north of town that might impact your visit. I know our plans have changed, as we had reservations at Haviland Lake NFS CG, which has been evacuated and is closed for the foreseeable future.

US 550 is closed north of town from mile marker 32 to 47. The do have an escort in place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, but that service can be suspended at any time if the fire poses a danger. So travel from Silverton (or Ouray) to Durango isn't recommended. Lots of smoke anyway.

If you were planning on taking the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge RR, it has been shut down until at least 6/17, when they will evaluate conditions. For several miles, the tracks are immediately adjacent to or within a mile of the fire.

I imagine Durango might be pretty smoky right now. I just looked at the traffic cameras north of Durango (http://www.cotrip.org/map.htm#/default) and the fire and smoke looks pretty bad.

Other cameras showing smoke include this and this.

[patperry2766]

Thanks. Hope and pray that this comes to a end quickly and everyone is safe.

[4runnerguy]

As of 11 a.m. Sunday morning, they have expanded the closure of US 550 from mm 32 all the way to the top of Molas Pass at mm 64. Apparently they are not currently running an escort through the area and don't expect to anytime today. The fire doubled in size over the last 24 hours. Purgatory resort is now also closed with evacuations ordered all the way up both sides of the highway to the resort.

patperry2766 wrote:
Gonna be at Ridgway SP in a month. Is that are under impending or current fire danger as well?

No, Ridgway is a long ways away from this fire. Depending on the wind direction and speed, there might be smoke in the area as there is this a.m. But lets hope the monsoon sets in early and rain helps control some of these fires!

[trailerbob]

Just left Durango on Thursday after a 4 day stay at junction creek SP. Fire is bad. It was smokey in the am at juntion creek. We drove up through Rico to telliride and it was smokey on the way up around Rico but a lot worse on the return trip. We ate at the Bar D Chuckwagon on the 5th of June. A little bit scary. Rt 550 was closed at 250 which leads to the Bar D chuckwagon. Watched helicopters dump water all evening. The fire seemed just across rt 550 at the base of the mountain. We left the chuckwagon after dark and you could see the flames plain as day. The fire was only 2400 acres then. Now it is 7400. I heard the State Police were escorting vehicles up and down 550 during the day when it wasn't to smokey.
We are now in South Fork and you can see the smoke in the sky to the north. We drove to Creede tonight and I could smell a hint of smoke in the air.
Our Prayers go out to all the firefighters involved and to all the people evacuated.
Last word I heard was they may have it comtained around June 30.

[patperry2766]

Gonna be at Ridgway SP in a month. Is that are under impending or current fire danger as well?

[SidecarFlip]

Tinder dry conifers burn really well...

[KCFDCapt]

I worked on the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2001. Was there for 21 days. The people of Durango were wonderful for the fire crews. It is a place I loved to visit in later years. Hope all stay safe

[eubank]

Not clear that this will work, but here's a link to a Facebook page with a video from the fire. It's pretty shocking.

https://www.facebook.com/caity.lou.5/videos/1690662924383581/

😞
Lynn

[4runnerguy]

I also just noticed that the Durango KOA North is also under mandatory evacuation.

Trimble Hot Springs is also under evacuation, so I'd imagine Westerly RV Park might also be.

Besides Haviland Lake, other NFS CG's closed include Chris Park Group and Lower Hermosa CG's.