Blaze 80% contained Friday, but red flag warning Saturday
Air support from the U.S. Forest Service Durango Tanker Base makes a slurry drop Wednesday on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire. The fire was 80 percent contained by Friday evening.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A High Flume road resident moves her livestock from the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday as it burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A La Plata County Road and Bridge crew on Wednesday delivers a 5,000-gallon water tanker to the Rancho Durango subdivision for firefighters working the Black Ridge Fire. The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office got the tanker at no charge as military surplus to aid in fighting wildfires, spokesman Dan Bender said. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
A Durango Fire Protection District firefighter learns how to use a 5,000 gallon water tanker delivered to the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday evening. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
A Durango wildland brush crew awaits orders Wednesday at the Black Ridge Fire in southern La Plata County. Multiple agencies responded to the fire. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
A resident was bulldozing a fire break on his property to guard against the Black Ridge Fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Smoke rises from the Black Ridge Fire burning Wednesday in southern La Plata County. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A member of the La Plata County Road and Bridge Department explains how to use the new 5,000-gallon water tanker to Road Maintenance Superintendent Doyle Villers. The tanker is one of two that came to the county as military surplus. Photo courtesy of Dan Bender
Smoke from the Black Ridge fire in southern La Plata County could be seen for miles Wednesday afternoon, including in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Resident Jim Holzman watches the growing plume from the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday afternoon. Holzman said he was 80 percent packed just in case. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Oil workers said they were unable to reach their wells Wednesday afternoon because of the Black Ridge Fire. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Jim Holzman has his house packed up and is ready to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns a few miles west of his home south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Air support from the U.S. Forest Service Durango Tanker Base drops slurry on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango Fire Protection District staged several pieces of equipment near homes for fire protection on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A smoke plume is visible fron U.S. Highway 550 from a fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in the Black Ridge area in southern La Plata County. Photo by Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald
A Durango Fire Protection District firefighter uses binoculars to get a closer look at the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Residents prepare in case they must evacuate because of the Black Ridge Fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A mule is evacuated from the area where the Black Ridge Fire was burning Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
The smoke from the Black Ridge Fire was visible throughout La Plata County on Wednesday. This was taken just before 4 p.m. from Los Ranchitos subdivision off Florida Road County Road 240) east of Durango. Photo courtesy of Peter Butler
Smoke rises Wednesday from the Black Ridge Fire south of Durang. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango Fire Protection District staged several pieces of equipment near homes for fire protection on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Air support from the U.S. Forest Service Durango Tanker Base makes a slurry drop on the south side of the Black Ridge Fire on Wednesday. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Residents pack up in case they must evacuate as the Black Ridge Fire erupts Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
Charlie Moore loads items from his home into vehicles as he readies to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon as the Black Ridge Fire burns a few miles west of his home south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Fire crews await orders at the Black Ridge fire Wednesday afternoon in southern La Plata County. Multiple agencies were responding to the fire, which was threatening homes and gas and oil resources. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
La Plata sheriff’s deputies plan for possible pre-evacuations for the Black Ridge Fire burning in southern La Plata County. Photo by Jonathan Romeo/Durango Herald
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputies put together an evacuation plan to notify area residents of the Black Ridge Fire as it burns south of Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
As of Friday evening, the Black Ridge Fire was 80 percent contained, but no personnel had been released as crews face critical fire weather conditions Saturday, officials said.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of western Colorado for Saturday, including Durango – where Saturday’s forecast calls for a high temperature of 87 degrees and wind gusts up to 35 mph.
A red flag warning means that fires could spread quickly because of low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds.
There is an ongoing burn ban in southern La Plata County – south of U.S. Highway 160 – and whenever a red flag warning is issued, the Durango Fire Protection District puts a burn ban in place.
One helicopter is assigned to the fire, and it made several bucket drops Friday, Megan Graham, La Plata County spokeswoman and public information officer for the fire, said in a news release.
“The crews were helped a lot by the humidity recovery last (Thursday) night,” Graham said.
Pre-evacuation orders for nearby residents were lifted Thursday evening, and Graham said Friday evening that “oil and gas operations in the area have returned to normal.”
There were about 70 firefighters on the fire, and plans were underway to reduce the number of crews when it is possible.
With critical fire conditions forecast through the weekend and dry thunderstorms expected Sunday and Monday, initial fire-attack resources are prepared to handle any new fires, Graham said.
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