The #PineGulchFireCO was very active today. At 11:30 a.m., the fire was mapped at 13,680 acres by MMA. In the afternoon, hot, dry, and windy conditions led to extreme fire behavior like that seen in the video above. In the afternoon, the fire grew from its location on Horse Mountain primarily to the north and northeast. At this time, we do not have a precise acreage on the fire. The crews on swing shift will be assessing the fire and continuing suppression operations until the early morning hours. We will post a full update with an updated acreage and map in the morning.

 Pine Gulch Fire Update
Friday August 7, 2020 – 10:00 am

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander
Information Office: (970) 628-0130
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Email: 2020.PineGulch@firenet.gov

Rate of Growth Slows on Pine Gulch Fire

 Many different species of wildlife make their home in and around the area of the Pine Gulch Fire. There are elk, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, turkey, mountain lion, bobcat, bear and several different species of birds and reptiles. There is also a wild horse herd.
A herd of about 160 wild horses lives in the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range, where they roam over 36,000 acres. The Pine Gulch Fire is about eight miles north of the Range and is moving to the north and east. The fire is not threatening or endangering the herd.
Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem and aids in regeneration of vegetation, which in turns helps provide future feed for wild horses and wildlife.
During wildfire suppression efforts, people should avoid visiting the Horse Range and honor all road closures to help support firefighters. If the fire should become a threat to the wild horse herd, the Bureau of Land Management will develop plans to reduce impacts on the herd.
This map shows where the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range is located.
 

Pine Gulch Fire Update
Thursday August 6, 2020 – 10:00 am

Pine Gulch Fire Update 
Wednesday August 5, 2020 – 10:00 am 
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black 
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

Information Office: (970) 628-0130 
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
Email: 2020.PineGulch@firenet.gov 

Pine Gulch Fire Grows to 5,685 Acres on Tuesday 

Current Situation: The Pine Gulch Fire on Tuesday continued to burn through areas of thick, heavy and extremely dry vegetation. As it burned towards the north and northeast, the fire made several strong fuel-driven uphill runs onto Horse Mountain. In addition to burning in sage and pinyon-juniper, the fire is also burning in mixed conifer as it moves into higher elevations. A multi-mission aircraft (MMA) flight over the fire late Tuesday afternoon estimated the fire at 5,685 acres and containment remained at 5%. Additional resources arrived on Tuesday to join suppression efforts with a total of 232 personnel on the fire as of Tuesday afternoon. 

On Wednesday, crews on the south side of the fire will work to keep the fire from moving south of the O 9/10 Road. Firefighters on the north side of the fire will be working on structure protection and removing fuels along the 200 Road. On the southeast side of the fire, will be removing fuels along the X 1/2 Road. 

The fire was active on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, yet fire activity is expected to increase as temperatures rise through the day and winds increase. As we have seen over the past several days, the Pine Gulch Fire has the potential to generate large amounts of smoke that can affect nearby communities and those downwind. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for northern Mesa County and southwestern Garfield County. More information on that advisory can be found at https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx. 

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Hot, dry and unstable atmospheric conditions will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, though each day will see a degree or so of cooling while the west-southwest winds slightly increase. High temperatures are forecasted in the upper 80s, with humidity in the low teens, and winds gusts in the 20 to 25 mph range. 

Closures: There is a closure in place on Mesa County Road X 1/2 after High Lonesome Ranch (275 County Road 222) to prevent nonessential traffic from entering the fire area. The presence of non-fire traffic within the area is a distraction and a hazard to firefighters and members of the public. 

Fire Restrictions: Fire danger across the region is rated as very high. Both Mesa County and Garfield County have Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. BLM lands within the Grand Junction Field Office are also under Stage 1 Restrictions. To learn more about fire restrictions on BLM-managed lands in western Colorado, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xfVFY. 
Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Pine Gulch Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

Pine Gulch Fire Statistics: 
Size:  5,685 acres 
Containment: 5% 
Total Personnel:  232 
Location: Approximately 18 miles north of Grand Junction, CO 
Reported: July 31, approximately 5:15 p.m. 
Cause: Lightning

For More Information: 
Information Office: (970) 628-0130, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 
Email: 2020.PineGulch@firenet.gov 
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6906/ 
Facebook: facebook.com/PineGulchFireCO 

Pine Gulch Fire Update

Tuesday, August 4, 2020 – 10:00 am

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Troy Hagan, Incident Commander 

Information Office: (970) 628 - 0130 Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Extreme Fire Behavior Pushes Pine Gulch Fire to 3,600 Acres

Current Situation: Extreme fire behavior, driven by dry, hot, and windy weather on Monday pushed the Pine Gulch Fire to 3,600 acres. Containment remained at 5%. Today, warm, dry weather is expected to remain a factor as additional resources begin arriving on the incident. Crews will continue to work to protect structures and other values at risk- including oil and gas drilling pads - in the area near the fire. There is potential for continued extreme fire behavior and movement of the fire to the east/northeast. Crews will continue to search for locations where there is a high probability of success in gaining more containment on the fire while keeping firefighters safe.

Rocky Mountain Type 2 Incident Management Team Black (Team Black) assumed command of the Pine Gulch Fire at 6 a.m. this morning. The team was requested due to increased fire activity, requiring a larger management structure to meet the needs associated with the incident as well as the ability to access a wider variety of resources to support firefighting efforts. Team Black thanks the Upper Colorado River (UCR) Type 3 organization for their work prior to the team’s arrival. 

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Mostly sunny skies are expected over the fire, with generally light down valley winds of 3 to 6 mph in the morning, shifting to the west and increasing to 6 to 12 mph in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 80s to 90 on Tuesday with humidity at 8 - 13% with a chance of some isolated thunderstorms. Afternoon storms could cause gusty and erratic winds over the fire that would contribute to erratic fire behavior. 

Closures: There is a closure in place on Mesa County Road X 1/2 after High Lonesome Ranch (275 County Road 222) to prevent nonessential traffic from entering the fire area. The presence of non-fire traffic within the area is a distraction and a hazard to firefighters and members of the public. Mesa County Sheriff’s deputies will be staffing that road closure.

Fire Restrictions: Fire danger across the region is rated as very high. Both Mesa County and Garfield County have Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. BLM lands within the Grand Junction Field Office are also under Stage 1 Restrictions. To learn more about fire restrictions on BLM-managed lands in western Colorado, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xfVFY .

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Pine Gulch Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. Drones are a real danger to aircraft in the air and firefighters on the ground. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.


Pine Gulch Fire Statistics:
Size:  3,600 acres
Containment:  5%
Total Personnel:  143
Location: Approximately 18 miles north of Grand Junction, CO
Reported: July 31, approximately 5:15 p.m.
Cause: Lightning For More Information:

Information Office: (970) 628-0130, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Email: 2020.PineGulch@firenet.gov
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6906/ 
Facebook: facebook.com/PineGulchFireCO

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Pine Gulch Fire started as a result of lightning Friday evening, July 31. It is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and private lands approximately 18 miles north of Grand Junction in Mesa County, approaching the Garfield County line. The fire has grown to approximately 1,500 acres and is 5% contained.

There are several structures now threatened. As the fire continued actively burning overnight, fire crews conducted burnout operations to remove fuels from the fire’s path. Due to extreme fire behavior and continued growth Sunday, a Type 2 incident command team has been ordered.

Road barricades have been placed around the affected fire area, and numerous public visitors have driven around the closures. The presence of non-fire traffic within the area is a distraction and a hazard to firefighters and members of the public. Sheriff’s deputies will be limiting access to roads in the fire area.

There are 95 firefighting resources currently assigned to the fire, including four engines, two fire modules, two Type 2 hand crews and the Wyoming Hotshot crew, with air support from two helicopters (Type 1 and Type 3), a single engine air tanker, and two large air tankers. The Upper Colorado River Type 3 Team will transfer management of the Pine Gulch Fire to the Type 2 Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black tomorrow morning. Additional firefighting resources are en route. Participating agencies include Mesa County, De Beque Fire Protection District, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, BLM and Forest Service.

More information and updates on the Pine Gulch Fire can be found online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6863/. BLM lands within the Grand Junction Field Office are currently under stage 1 fire restrictions. To learn more about fire restrictions on BLM-managed lands in southwest Colorado, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district.

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 August 2, 2020

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Pine Gulch Fire that started yesterday evening in Mesa County is approximately 280 acres with zero containment. The fire was likely caused by lightning.

The Pine Gulch Fire is located entirely on BLM-managed lands approximately 15 miles north of Grand Junction. There are private lands located 1 to 2 miles north and east of the fire, however no structures are directly threatened at this time.

The fire is burning in on a ridge in pinyon, juniper, oak, and sage brush in very rugged terrain. Access is difficult, by foot only. Ground crews are working on establishing containment line around the fire’s perimeter, while air support forces drop water from helicopters and retardant from fixed-wing aircraft to cool hot spots and slow the fire’s advance. Weather today has been hot and dry; conditions that are expected to continue for the next several days.

There are 120 firefighting resources currently assigned to the fire, including three engines, one wildland fire module, one fire suppression module, two Type 2 hand crews and one Hotshot crew, with air support from two type 1 helicopters and one type 3 helicopter, as well as a single engine air tanker and a heavy air tanker. The Upper Colorado River Type 3 Incident Management team will assume management of the fire this evening. Mesa County, DeBeque Fire Protection District, and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control are assisting the BLM.

Mesa County is currently under stage 1 fire restrictions. To learn more about fire restrictions on BLM-managed lands in southwest Colorado, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district.

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