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.
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.
On Saturday, Montezuma County rescinded its preevacuation advisory for Stoner and areas along the Colorado Highway 145 corridor.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.
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 preexisting health of the forest.
“A big part of our plan right now is 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,“ Cook said.
The fire team reminded hunters that bow season opened Tuesday, and parts of Game Management Unit 71 will remain closed.
The fire, sparked by lightning July 28, has seen no significant activity since rainfall nearly a week ago.
Containment lines near Stoner were finished this weekend, signaling a reduction in staffing and continued mop-up and cleanup operations.
“With 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,” a Team 8 news release said Monday. “They also continue to fall hazard trees near roads and trails and install erosion control measures on bulldozer lines and trails.”
“An 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,” the release said.
As of Monday, 277 crew members, including firefighters and support personnel, were assigned to the fire.
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.
“The cool thing about this place is the logistic support that supports the firefighters on the ground,” Nielsen said in his morning update. “There’s a logistics team that’s 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.”
Saturday’s warm, dry weather produced visible smoke within the fire perimeter, but officials confirmed Sunday in a news release that “none of the hot spots that have been found recently have posed any threat to containment lines.” Haze in the area was attributed to other western wildfires.
The Air Quality Index predicted good conditions in the area.
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.
Nielsen highlighted the progress during his Saturday morning update.
“Probably 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,” he said.
“The fire really hasn’t moved,” he said. “There has been … 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.”
Nielsen also provided updates on crew activities.
In the southeast corner, “all the smokes we found were more than 150 feet off the line,” which Nielsen called “a really good thing,” showing stable containment.
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.
The weekend’s mission included continued efforts to secure and mitigate the fire’s 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.
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.
On Sunday, the San Juan National Forest reminded hunters that the fire continues to burn in Game Management Unit 71, northeast of Dolores, on Stoner and Taylor Mesas.
“There is no estimated date for lifting the closure, as the wildfire remains active,” according to a news release from forest spokeswoman Lorena Williams.
She added that hunters in GMUs 71 and 711 might encounter others who have relocated because of the closure.
“Please respect other hunters while also respecting the closure and the fire personnel working hard to contain this fire,” Williams said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southwest Region emphasized that “this closure affects only a small piece of the excellent hunting that GMUs 71/711 have.”
Williams also reminded forest visitors that Stage 2 fire restrictions remain in effect. Campfires are prohibited under all circumstances. Stoves, grills and lanterns fueled by propane or other liquid petroleum gas are permitted.
A temporary flight restriction remains over the fire area. Officials emphasized that private aircraft, including drones, are strictly prohibited.
“If you fly, we can’t,” the news release said.
