The Hermosa Cliffs Fire that began Wednesday and grew to 18 acres by Thursday afternoon had sustained that footprint as of Thursday afternoon.
The fire’s location within the 416 Fire burn scar north of Durango has created challenging and dangerous firefighting conditions, despite its relatively small size and low-level intensity. It has also offered an early season preview of conditions – largely dry – heading into the start of wildfire season.
The fire remained remote, above the cliffs and away from homes Thursday afternoon, said Lorena Williams, spokesperson for the San Juan National Forest. Crews had constructed a fire line around about 40% of the fire perimeter by Thursday afternoon and were making good progress toward containment.
About 40 firefighters from several highly specialized firefighting crews were assigned to the incident Thursday, Williams said.
Responding crews included the San Juan National Forest Interagency Hotshot Crew, the Columbine Wildland Fire Module, a local team that also brings drone expertise, and the Burning Mountain Wildland Fire Module from the Colorado River Fire Protection District.
Williams said they are among the most highly trained wildland firefighters in the country, typically assigned to difficult, technical incidents in steep, rugged and hazardous terrain where precision and experience are critical. Two heavy helicopters also assisted suppression efforts before deteriorating weather temporarily grounded aircraft.
The burn scar terrain also presents difficult working conditions.
“This is a dangerous fire for firefighters,” Williams said.
The hike into the fire area is steep and rocky, and dead standing trees – the leading cause of wildland firefighter fatalities – pose a significant safety hazard, she said.
While the unique terrain of the burn scar creates a dangerous environment and makes containment efforts more challenging, it will also benefit from the present fire in the long term.
“Within that 18-acre footprint there are huge patches of unburned trees, grass, oak brush and fuel,” Williams said. “There are a lot of fingers of fire that trail out into the forest, and it’s not a consistent front like you would imagine with a really aggressive wildfire.”
As the fire slowly consumes those fuels, it can help reduce future wildfire risk and contribute to forest health.
“We’re trying to put this out as quickly as possible, but the areas that do burn in the meantime are having some ecological benefit,” she said.
On Wednesday evening, the fire had grown to 2 acres. The U.S. Forest Service had began water drops using nearby dip sites. Expected growth overnight informed the decision to hold back on sending fire crews on the ground until the morning, Williams said.
She said sending firefighters into a growing fire for initial attack in the dark – on terrain they have likely not seen before – is extremely dangerous and one of the historic reasons for firefighter deaths.
“It’s not that we weren’t wanting to engage in this thing aggressively, it’s that we want to engage aggressively and keep our firefighters safe,” she said Thursday morning.
The weather Thursday was expected to create challenges. Temperatures were expected to reach the high 70s and relative humidity levels were shown to be low, as they had been Wednesday, she said.
But Mother Nature intervened and brought – at least temporary – relief Thursday afternoon.
Helicopters were grounded as of Thursday afternoon as bad weather swept over the area. Williams said the relative humidity and cooler temperatures proved beneficial to containment efforts and reducing spread.
However, rain showers and cloud coverage are expected to move on quickly, said Brooke Scholtens, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Over Friday and going into the weekend, hot, dry and windy conditions are anticipated to return to the San Juans, bringing elevated wildfire, she said.
She said long-term precipitation predictions for the months of June, July and August look more hopeful, as signs show a 50% to 60% chance that precipitation levels will remain above normal.
Williams said there is something to learn about the next few months’ fire outlook from the Hermosa Cliffs Fire that ignited Wednesday. Heavy fuels such as logs and downed trees are extremely dry, consistent for a severe drought stage. The Hermosa Fire has moved quickly from log to log.
Crews will not stay on scene overnight Thursday, but will hike or fly back in early Friday morning to resume working.
Lightning has been confirmed as the official cause of the fire, the No. 1 cause of wild land fires.
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