{"id":16703,"date":"2025-09-01T17:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T17:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/monday-update-dolores-county-lifts-last-preevacuation-order-crews-finish-fire-lines\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:59:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:59:58","slug":"monday-update-dolores-county-lifts-last-preevacuation-order-crews-finish-fire-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/monday-update-dolores-county-lifts-last-preevacuation-order-crews-finish-fire-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday update: Dolores County lifts last preevacuation order; crews finish fire lines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Firefighters
Firefighters work on extremely steep terrain to clear hazard trees from a dozer line on Aug. 29.Courtesy photo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The San Juan National Forest reduced the Stoner Mesa Fire closure area this weekend, citing decreased fire activity and substantial progress by firefighting crews. Dolores County lifted the remaining preevacuation orders Sunday.<\/p>\n

The revised closure order reopened forest roads and trails north of the fire, which has scorched 10,249 acres and is 45% contained, according to a news release from San Juan Team 8, led by Incident Commander Brad Pietruszka.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Montezuma County rescinded its preevacuation advisory for Stoner and areas along the Colorado Highway 145 corridor. However, Stoner Mesa and Taylor Mesa remain closed, along with southern portions of Calico Trail, Priest Gulch and Eagle Peak. The northern Calico Trail has reopened. For full details, see the order at https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/RevisedSNFClosure.<\/a><\/p>\n

Toby Cook, operations section chief for Team 8, said Tuesday the fire has created a mosaic burn pattern, with areas of high, low, and no severity, often linked to the pre-existing health of the forest.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big part of our plan right now, Cook said, \u201dis making sure we have those plans in place if that fire does move again that we can take care of it in country that is safe to put our firefighters.\u201c<\/p>\n

The fire team reminded hunters Monday that bow season opens Tuesday, and parts of Game Management Unit 71 will remain closed.<\/p>\n

The fire, sparked by lightning July 28, has seen no significant activity since rainfall nearly a week ago.<\/p>\n

Containment lines near Stoner were finished this weekend, signaling a reduction in staffing and continued mop-up and cleanup operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith all primary and contingency lines now completed, firefighters will focus on maintaining those lines and mopping up any remaining heat sources that could pose a threat,\u201d a Team 8 news release said Monday. \u201cThey also continue to fall hazard trees near roads and trails and install erosion control measures on bulldozer lines and trails.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAn adequate number of firefighters remain to complete the work and ensure this fire can be contained in the unlikely event it becomes active in the weeks ahead,\u201d the news release said.<\/p>\n

As of Monday, 277 crew, including firefighters and support personnel, were assigned to the fire.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Operations Section Chief Scott Nielsen announced that the team had moved its command post from the Montezuma County Fairgrounds to Drop Point 2, a remote camp in western Division X, to shorten travel times and streamline operations. Most remaining personnel are now stationed at a camp on West Dolores Road near Stoner Mesa Road.<\/p>\n

\"Incident
Incident Command for San Juan Team 8 has moved from the Montezuma County Fairgrounds to Drop Point 2, a spike camp on the western side of the Stoner Mesa Fire.(Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Incident
Incident Command for San Juan Team 8 has moved from the Montezuma County Fairgrounds to Drop Point 2, a spike camp on the western side of the Stoner Mesa Fire.(Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThe cool thing about this place is the logistic support that supports the firefighters on the ground,\u201d Nielsen said in his morning update. \u201cThere\u2019s a logistics team that\u2019s been hard at work for the past few weeks here, and they support about 200 firefighters and up to 400 over the past few days with food, fuel, water, handwash stations, showers, laundry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s warm, dry weather produced visible smoke within the fire perimeter, but officials confirmed Sunday in a news release that \u201cnone of the hot spots that have been found recently have posed any threat to containment lines.\u201d Haze in the area was attributed to other western wildfires.<\/p>\n

The Air Quality Index predicted good conditions in the area.<\/p>\n

Work and weather Friday set the course for the weekend<\/div>\n

The weekend road reopenings followed progress Friday, when firefighters completed the primary containment line on the western edge of the blaze. A Hotshot crew and a Type 2 hand crew cleared a mile-long section from Taylor Mesa to Stoner Creek.<\/p>\n

Operations Section Chief Nielsen highlighted the progress during his Saturday morning update.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably our biggest success was we have completed our primary containment line from Stoner Creek into Taylor Mesa, so that means with the line on the Stoner Mesa into Taylor Mesa we have full control line around the indirect control around the fire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fire really hasn\u2019t moved,\u201d he said. \u201cThere has been \u2026 no threats to the containment lines for the past few days and we anticipate that to continue for the next few days into the coming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nielsen also provided updates on crew activities.<\/p>\n

\"Firefighters
Firefighters cut and remove hazard trees along a steep dozer line above Stoner on Aug. 29. Courtesy photo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In the southeast corner, \u201call the smokes we found were more than 150 feet off the line,\u201d which Nielsen called \u201ca really good thing,\u201d showing stable containment.<\/p>\n

Crews on patrol extinguished three hot spots inside the perimeter near the southern containment line on Taylor Mesa, the news release said. Structure-protection crews removed pumps, tanks and sprinkler systems from sections of County Road 38 that were no longer under threat. Rainfall Friday afternoon aided their efforts.<\/p>\n

The weekend\u2019s mission included continued efforts to secure and mitigate the fire\u2019s impact. Firefighters with the Black Hills Wildfire Module cut hazard trees and cleared brush along a secondary fire line on Stoner Mesa, near Stoner. Patrols will ensure the fire remains inside the perimeter.<\/p>\n

In addition to removing structure-protection equipment, crews will chip tree limbs and other debris along the containment line on Taylor Mesa. Repair work has begun on the fire line just off the contained eastern edge to reduce soil erosion.<\/p>\n