Duckett Fire NW of Westcliffe

Duckett Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 2 HRS. AGO
Approximate Location

38.233 latitude, -105.683 longitude

CANON CITY, CO., June 13, 2011 - The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), San Isabel National Forest, San Carlos District is reporting the Duckett Fire to be at 1000 acres and growing. The fire cause in under investigation. It is located northwest of Westcliffe in Custer County. The Duckett fire is burning in ponderosa pine, oak brush, and mixed conifer in a remote area. There is no containment at this time.

Fire managers expect a very active fire period today with Red Flag warnings and wind gusts reaching 45 miles per hour (mph). In addition the humidity is below 5% adding to fire danger.

Firefighters worked through the night to put in a fire line in anticipation of extreme fire activity today. At present, 2 "heli-tankers" are putting retardant on the fire and ground resources include a Hotshot crew and a fire crew. Additional resources have been ordered and a Type 2 Fire Team will take over management of the fire later today.

Both the Custer and Fremont County Sheriffs are conducting evacuations. Approximately 40 structures are threatened at this time with an additional 200 structures within 2 miles of the fire.

The San Carlos Ranger District has temporarily closed the Rainbow Trail from the Big Cottonwood Trailhead to the Gibson Trailhead. The closure will be in place until further notice.

Fire managers remind visitors that Stage 1 fire restrictions began Friday, June 10 for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests with the exception of Lake County. The Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands continue to be in Stage 1. The public should check with the local county sheriff to be aware of any further restrictions.

-end-

JUNE 13, 2011: The Duckett Fire, located in Custer County, CO (NW of Westcliffe and W of Hwy 191) on the San Isabel National Forest, at present, is at approximately 1000 acres. The U.S. Forest Service - Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) have officials on site. The fire has grown since it was reported at 3:30 p.m. on June 12,2011, and is burning in grass, ponderosa pine and juniper. The fire behavior is considered extreme at this time.

There are 5 federal engines on site, and the U.S. Forest Service is working with local cooperators to suppress this fire. Other resources ordered include: two Type 1 crews and two Type 2 crews. Due to the windy conditions air resources that have been ordered are unable to be used at this time.

Residents should be aware of heavy fire traffic in the area. Individuals may find updates on this fire and other incidents at http://www.inciweb.org/ , or they can follow us on Twitter @ PSICC NF for frequent updates.

Source

Now 1800 acres per Pueblo WildCAD.

So sad but bet it is very dry down there!!!!

Hope no homes burn.

Per Sit Report:

Duckett
CO-PSF-000801
Type: WF
Start: 06/12/2011
Cause: U

Overhead Team Name: T.Webb
Organization: Type 3 IC

Size: 1,800 ACRES
% Cnt/MMA: 0 %
Est Contain: NR
Latitude: 38° 14´ 0"
Longitude: 105° 41´ 0"

Location: 8 Miles NW of Westcliffe, CO
$$ Costs to Date: $100,000

Structures Threatened: 40 PRIM , 1 COMM
Structures Destroyed: NONE

Resources Committed:
Total Personnel: 125
Report Date: Jun 13, 2011 1715

Significant Events: active fire fronts on two side

Remarks:

Observed Fire Behavior: torching, crowning, running w/ 1/4 mile spotting

Planned Actions: Transition to Type 2 team tomorrow at 0600

http://inciweb.org/photos/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https://firelord.nwcg.gov/ftp/InciWeb/COPSF/2011-06-13-09:00-duckett-fire/picts/pict-20110614-114435-0.jpeg&w=620&h=620

West Flank, 6/13/11 from InciWeb

Sounds bad JF

Per Sit Report:

Duckett
CO-PSF-000801
Type: WF
Start: 06/12/2011
Cause: U

Overhead Team Name: Todd Pechota
Organization: Type 2 Team

Size: 1,758 ACRES
% Cnt/MMA: 5 %
Est Contain: 06/28/2011
Latitude: 38° 14´ 0"
Longitude: 105° 41´ 0"


Location: 8 Miles NW of Westcliffe, CO
$$ Costs to Date: $664,000


Structures Threatened: 40 PRIM , 1 COMM , 20 OUTB
Structures Destroyed: NONE

Resources Committed:
Total Personnel: 310
Report Date: Jun 14, 2011 1800

Significant Events: Evacuations remain in effect for the Eagle Peak Subdivision, Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp and other scattered structures. Over 300 people (largely made up of Rainbow Trail Luthern Camp participants) are affected by current evacuations. Residences in the Brush Creek Subdivision have been notified and are in the process of evacuation. Several other structures are on a 1-hr. evacuation notice. County Rd. 198 is closed to non-local traffic. Area closure is being drafted.

Remarks: Block 15: Breakout by ownership is as follows: FS-1,343; BLM-19, Pvt- 396. Transition to a Type 2 orgnaization occured at 0600 this morning.

Observed Fire Behavior: Group torching with short duration crown fire when slope and wind aligned. Short range spotting was observed.

Planned Actions: Continue to establish an anchor point along the eastern flank.

I believe InciWeb location of 16 miles NW of Westcliffe is more accurate.

Per InciWeb:

INCIDENT UPDATED 8 HRS. AGO
Approximate Location
38.233 latitude, -105.683 longitude

Winds out of the north enabled firefighters to put in dozer line on the north side of the fire. Fire activity was minimal until late this afternoon when relative humidity dropped into single digits and fire behavior increased. Fire made a significant run to the south. County Rd 192 was evacuated and firefighters directed efforts to point protection and fire mitigation around structures. By last this evening winds had shifted to the north, relative humidity had increased and fire activity had minimized. Weather forecast predicts higher temps, lower humidity, and higher winds for the next few days.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Tuesday June 14th, 2011 approx. 08:45 PM
Location 16 miles NW of Westcliffe, Co
Incident Commander Todd Pechota

Current Situation
Total Personnel 310
Size 2,300 acres
Percent Contained 5%
Fuels Involved Grass, Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon Juniper, and Mixed Conifer

Fire Behavior Group torching with short duration crown fire when slope and wind aligned. Short range spotting was observed.

Significant Events Evacuations remain in effect for the Eagle Peak Subdivision, Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp, County Rd 192, and other scattered structures. Over 300 people (largely made up of Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp participants) are affected by current evacuations. Residences in the Brush Creek Subdivision have been notified of a pre-evacuation, but a mandatory evacuation of that area has not been ordered. County Rd 198 is closed to non-local traffic. Area closure is being drafted.

Outlook
Planned Actions Continue to establish an anchor point along the eastern flank.

Growth Potential High

Terrain Difficulty High

Remarks Transition to a Type 2 organization occured at 0600 this morning.

Source

Per InciWeb:

INCIDENT UPDATED 10 HRS. AGO
Approximate Location
38.233 latitude, -105.683 longitude

Current fuels, weather and fire behavior are significantly impacting suppression actions. Winds out of the northwest late this afternoon caused the fire to slop over the southern perimeter and continue expanding to the south and southwest. Spotting was occuring and crews were pulled back due to safety concerns. Structure protection is in place and crews continue to work creating fuels breaks and doing mitigation around these structures. Crews are mopping up the east side of the fire and around the Rainbow Camp. A night shift will patrol the fire. The expected containment date is a very preliminary estimate and is expected to change.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Tuesday June 14th, 2011 approx. 08:45 PM
Location 16 miles NW of Westcliffe, Co
Incident Commander Todd Pechota

Current Situation
Total Personnel 394
Size 2,476 acres
Percent Contained 10%
Estimated Containment Date Thursday June 28th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved Grass, Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon Juniper, and Mixed Conifer

Fire Behavior Group torching with short duration crown fire. Spotting of 1/4 to 1/3 was observed.

Significant Events Evacuations remain in effect for the Eagle Peak Subdivision, Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp, County Rd 192, Brush Creek Subdivision and other scattered structures. Over 300 people (largely made up of Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp participants) are affected by current evacuations. Residences in the Upper Vervemont Road, Mongtomery Tracts, Camper Tracts, Pine Village, and Pine Ranch have been notified of a pre-evacuation, but a mandatory evacuation of that area has not been ordered. County Rd 198 and 192 are closed to non-local traffic. Area closure is being drafted.

Outlook
Planned Actions Secure east flank. Scouting opportunities for future containment lines in both the north and south flanks.

Growth Potential Extreme

Terrain Difficulty High

Remarks Camp crewperson received stitches to head after a work related injury occurred at camp. A SEAT (Airtractor 802) experienced a crosswind gust during flight which resulted in the wing dipping and striking the ground. No injuries resulted from this accident however, there was damage to the wing of the aircraft. An investigation team has been ordered.

Source

Per InciWeb:

Maytag Ranch Evacuated
Incident: Duckett Fire Wildfire
Released: 4 hrs. ago

Due to the increased fire activity on the north side of the fire, the Fremont County Sheriff is in the process of evacuating Maytag Ranch.

Source