September 17, 2020

Colorado Fires

Colorado: Pine Gulch Fire north of Grand Junction, CO & Grizzly Creek Fire near Glenwood Canyon- Pine Gulch 2nd largest wildfire in Colorado history

Crews are battling 135,958-acre Pine Gulch Fire north of Grand Junction, CO which is now 53% contained and the 2nd largest wildfire in CO state history. Crews are also battling the rapidly growing 32,302-acre Grizzly Creek Fire near Glenwood Canyon which is now 61% contained. 

News Coverage & Officials

Pine Gulch- Quick Facts

Pine Gulch Fire Statistics:

  • Size: 135,958 acres
  • Containment: 53%
  • Total Personnel: 935
  • Location: Approximately 18 miles north of Grand Junction, CO
  • Reported: July 31, approximately 5:15 p.m.
  • Cause: Lightning

Weather & Fuel Conditions: The chance of thunderstorms will continue. Any storms that develop could produce winds gusts up to 40 mph. There is a 15% chance of wetting rain. Maximum temperature is around 90 with 19-22% relative humidity. Winds are forecast from the west-southwest at 8-11 mph with gusts up to 19. The coming days bring more chance for thunderstorms with similar chance for gustier winds. As the chance of rainfall increases, so does the threat of flash flooding and debris flow. While there has been moisture in the area, its effects will be short term because of continued drought conditions; any new fire starts in the vicinity still have the potential for growth. 

Evacuations: Garfield County: 4A Ridge Road (256), Salt Wash (205), King Road (258), Clear Creek Road (211), Carr Creek Road (207), Kimball Creek Road (202). A pre-evacuation order is in effect for all residents of Garfield County west of CO-139 to the Utah border, and any formerly evacuated residents remain in pre-evacuation. For more information: www.garfieldcounty.net. There are currently no pre-evacuations or evacuations in Mesa County: www.sheriff.mesacounty.us/FireInformationClosures: Roan Creek Road (204) at North Dry Fork (200). The V 2/10 Rd. at the 44 Rd, Coal Canyon Rd. just past the Cameo Shooting Range. The 21 Road north of the BLM boundary, 16 Road at V 8/10 Road, and the Q 5/10 Road is closed at 18 Rd. BLM lands north of Loma, Fruita, Grand Junction, and Palisade. Please see: www.tinyurl.com/PineGulchBLM

Air Quality: Air Quality Health Advisories may be issued in areas near the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek fires. A smoke outlook for the Pine Gulch Fire is available where this update is posted and at https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/WesternColorado. For more information on smoke levels, please visit https://airnow.gov.

Emergency Alerts: For Garfield County, please visit garco911.com. Mesa County alerts, please visit bit.ly/Emergency_Alerts.

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. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Grizzly Creek- Quick Facts

Grizzly Creek Fire Statistics: 

  • Size: 32,302 acres
  • Containment: 61%
  • Total Personnel: 724
  • Location: Glenwood Canyon
  • Reported: Monday August 10th, 2020 approx. 01:30 PM
  • Cause: Unknown 

Road Closures: Coffee Pot Road, Transfer Trail Road and areas of the Flattops accessed by those roads are closed, as are many surrounding White River National Forest and BLM roads. Go to www.cotrip.org.

Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire to provide a safe operating environment for firefighting aircraft. Go to https://tfr.faa.gov/.