Approximate Location
Incident Overview
The majority of resources were released from the fire Sunday. Local fireifghters from the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit will continue to monitor the fire. Fire officials expect smokes will be popping up in the afternoon for at least several more days. More of these smokes will be inside the fire perimeter and will not pose any threat. Crews will take suppression action as needed.
Sunday firefighters continued to strengthen containment lines. One heavy helicopter and a light helicopter will be supported their work.
Acreage remains at 991.
Investigators confirmed the fire was human-caused but were unable to pinpoint the precise cause. It started immediately adjacent to Highway 13 and was first reported about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
It actively grew to about 991 acres, fanned by the strong west wind. The resulting smoke column was visible throughout the area. The fire is burning in pinyon-juniper and mixed conifer forests on the west side of the Grand Hogback.
The fire is about nine miles from Rifle Gap Reservoir.
Highway 13 remains open.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Human Caused |
| Date of Origin | Wednesday October 03rd, 2012 approx. 01:30 PM |
| Location | 15 miles north of Rifle, CO |
| Incident Commander | Ross Wilmore |
Current Situation
| Size | 991 acres |
|---|---|
| Percent Contained | 80% |
| Fuels Involved | oak brush, pinyon-juniper and mixed conifer |
| Fire Behavior | Firefighters are continuing to monitor the fire, and some smokes are expected to be visible for several days. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Firefighters are continuing to monitor the fire. Most smokes that pop up will not pose and threat and will not need suppression action. Fireifghters will take action when needed. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Rugged and difficult |
| Remarks | This late fire season start with active fire behavior illustates a high fire danger continues into the fall. |
