NEWS RELEASE
Fern Lake Fire Status After Recent Snowfall
The Fern Lake Fire is not out... but with 12 plus inches of snow on December 18, it has reduced the fire spread and potential to spread to very low. There will be small isolated areas of smoldering... more
Approximate Location
Incident Overview
This will be the last InciWeb update unless significant activity occurs.
The Fern Lake Fire started Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, about three miles west of Estes Park, Colo., in steep and rugged Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, which is believed to have been associated with an illegal campfire in lower Forest Canyon. The investigation remains open. The fire area is littered with downed and beetle-killed trees, creating hazardous conditions for firefighters. Under a full-suppression strategy since it began, the fire remained in inaccessible terrain until Nov. 30, when 70 mile-per-hour winds pushed it three miles east to Moraine Park in 35 minutes, more than doubling its size. A Type 1 Incident Management Team, headed by Paul Broyles, assumed command of the fire on Sunday, Dec. 2. Fire behavior has been reduced significantly since that time due to colder temperatures, high humidity and some precipitation. Transfer of command from the Type I Incident Management Team back to a National Park Service Type III Team occured on Monday, December 10. A transfer from the Type III organization to a Type IV Team occured on Wednesday evening 12/12/12.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Under Investigation |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday October 09th, 2012 approx. 02:00 PM |
| Location | West of Estes Park, CO |
| Incident Commander | James Champ |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 15 |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,498 acres |
| Percent Contained | 88% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Friday May 31st, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM |
| Fuels Involved | 10 Timber (litter and understory)FM 8/10 with high loading of dead and down and beetle kill. |
| Fire Behavior | Limited, smoldering - cold and snowy conditions. |
| Significant Events | Due to severe weather and snow covered terrain conditions, suppression actions were limited. Fire was put into monitor status with all air resources being demobed December 12, 2012. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Monitor and gather intelligence on fire. Take advantage of any opportunities to conduct limited suppression of isolated smoldering fuels. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Remarks | When the combination of terrain and precipitation have combined to meet management's containment definition, the containment date will be adjusted. |
Current Weather
| Wind Conditions | 29 mph SW |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 43 degrees |
| Humidity | 19% |
