Almost 500 homes were evacuated and about 750 were placed on pre-evacuation Thursday in the Hermosa area, just south of the 416 Fire.
Rosa Rodriguez packs a bag Thursday at her Durango Regency home in preparation to evacuate. While Rodriguez’s home was on the pre-evacuation list, she, her husband and her son all thought they would be on the evacuation list by the end of the day and wanted to prepare early. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A plane drops a load of slurry on the 416 Fire on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon behind the Durango Regency trailer park north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Vail Fire and Emergency Service engineer Zach Herwette, left, wildland coordinator Paul Cada, Lt. Todd Burtar and firefighter Kelly Klein work as fire spotters Thursday at Bakers Bridge just off U.S. Highway 550. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Colorado Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 550 to through traffic Thursday morning near Hermosa for the 416 Fire evacuations. The road was later opened for escorted traffic. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
From left, Lizette, 12, Yasenia, 15, and Myriam and Vincente Arellano, 11, head to the car after packing up clothing in preparation to evacuate from Durango Regency trailer park in Hermosa. Myriam Arellano was going to drop off her children at their evacuation point before returning to pack more belongings. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Rosa Rodriguez packs a bag at her Durango Regency home on Thursday in preparation to evacuate. While Rodriguez’s home was on the pre-evacuation list, she, her husband and her son all thought they would be on the evacuation list by the end of the day and wanted to prepare early. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Rich Tassey packs his tools before evacuating from his home at Durango Regency trailer park in Hermosa. Tassey, who also evacuated for the Missionary Ridge Fire, was eager to pack up a few things. He was out of town for the Missionary Ridge Fire and was unable to get back to his home to pack. “You don’t really know what to take,” he said. “It’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done.” Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A helicopter drops water on the 416 Fire on Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Tom Garcia watches the 416 Fire burn from the roof of his home Thursday in Durango Regency trailer park in Hermosa. Garcia, who lives in an area that was flagged for pre-evacuation, was not planning to evacuate, at least not as of Thursday afternoon. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Mike Mitchell packs a second load of belongs from his home in Durango Regency trailer park. Mitchell, in a pre-evacuation area of Hermosa, was leaving the area because of the 416 Fire. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Carol Queen, left, and Tanner Harwood, volunteers with the Mounted Patrol, direct traffic to turn around off County Road 250 at Bakers Bridge where the road is closed for the 416 Fire. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns behind a field of sheep off County Road 250 on Thursday afternoon in Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Vail Fire and Emergency Service engineer Zach Herwette, left, Lt. Todd Burtar, wildland coordinator Paul Cada and firefighter Kelly Klein work as fire spotters Thursday at Bakers Bridge just off U.S. Highway 550. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Vail Fire and Emergency Service engineer Zach Herwette works as a fire spotter on Thursday at Bakers Bridge just off U.S. Highway 550. Herwette and the rest of the team keep an eye on potential fire spread. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
The 416 Fire burns behind a horse off County Road 250 on Thursday afternoon in Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A plane helps battle the 416 Fire on Thursday in Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A helicopter drops water on the 416 Fire on Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A helicopter drops water on the 416 Fire on Thursday afternoon north of Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Residents watch the 416 Fire on Thursday from The Sanctuary at North Valley in Hermosa. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Two helicopters and a plane battle the 416 Fire on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
A plane turns after dropping a load of slurry Thursday on the 416 Fire. Photo by Claudia Laws/Durango Herald
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Brad Spargur escorts an elderly resident as Denakay Hutton, site manager at the Animas Village Apartments, follows on Thursday morning during the mandatory evacuation order. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Denakay Hutton, site manager at the Animas Village Apartments, hugs Allegra Eyetoo before leaving their homes on Thursday morning near Hermosa during the mandatory evacuation order. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Lt. Ed Aber with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office goes over the mandatory evacuation plan on Thursday morning with a team of area law enforcement before going out and contacting residents in the Hermosa area as the 416 Fire burns. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Tim Sparks carries items out of his home while evacuating Thursday morning near Hermosa on County Road 201. The 416 Fire moved into the Hermosa Creek Drainage, causing a second round of mandatory evacuations, affecting about 500 more homes. “It’s kind of funny what you choose to take with you,” Sparks said. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Allegra Eyetoo, with her cat Cotton, pack up and leave their home at Animas Village Apartments on Thursday morning near Hermosa during the mandatory evacuation order. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Tim Sparks carries items out of his home near Hermosa on County Road 201 on Thursday morning to load in his truck as he evacuates the area. The 416 Fire has dropped down the slopes above Hermosa, causing the second round of mandatory evacuations. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office deputies discuss where they need to make contact with residents Thursday morning during evacuations in the Hermosa area. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
An evacuation order went into effect Thursday morning in the Hermosa area, where the 416 Fire advanced Wednesday night. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith speaks with members of the evacuation team Thursday morning before law enforcement went door-to-door notifying residents of new evacuation orders in the Hermosa area. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
