The Ferris Fire swept through Dolores River Canyon Friday afternoon, an outcome firefighters both feared and anticipated as the blaze 15 miles northwest of Dolores encroached on the narrow gap bordering residences.
As of Friday evening, no structures had been burned, but Keith Keesling, emergency manager for Dolores County, said about a dozen homes on the west side of the canyon were issued evacuation orders. Keesling said there are about 30 homes to the south of the evacuation area under pre-evacuation orders. Glade Ranch residents, most of whom don’t live in those homes year-round, were issued evacuation orders Saturday, June 27.
Evacuated residents were directed to Pleasant View Fire Department to seek shelter. By Friday evening, the Red Cross established a shelter at Pleasant View Charter School with the capacity to house and feed about 40 people, according to the organization’s community disaster program manager for Southwest Colorado, Sean Killow.
“We’ll be providing meals, a nice place to sleep. People can bring their household pets.” he said. “We’ll make them as comfortable as we can while they stay with us.”
As of Friday afternoon, the Ferris Fire, ignited by a series of lightning strikes Saturday, had scorched 33,248 acres, continuing a push northward parallel to Forest Service Road 240, said Abraham Proffitt, spokesperson for the San Juan National Forest. The fire also broke through the Dolores River Canyon, spreading across the west side, presenting a barrier for crews working to beat back the blaze.
“We can’t put firefighters in the canyon and we can’t have aircraft flying into the canyon either. They have to stay above that,” Proffitt said. “It makes it very challenging to fight the fire when it’s in the canyon.”
On Friday afternoon, firefighters were assisting with evacuations and working to build dozer lines on the west side of the canyon closest to residences.
“We can’t control the fire in the canyon. We can control it when it gets out of the canyon,” San Juan National Forest spokesperson Lorena Williams said. “We are building the line along the canyon rim so that when it comes up we will stop it.”
Meanwhile, two “Super Scooper” aircraft, gathering water from McPhee Reservoir, were making water drops on the north and east edges of the fire, Proffitt said.
The drops are intended to create fire breaks in case the blaze continues in those directions, he said.
The surrounding area of Benchmark Lookout Tower, which functions as a private home and fire lookout near the northeast end of the fire, has been doused in fire retardant to protect it from a push north, Proffitt said. According to Operations Section Chief Toby Cook of San Juan Team 8, which is managing the fire, the structure remained unharmed as of Friday evening.
Residents of Dove Creek, where smoke from the fire overtook the horizon, gathered at the Dolores County Public Service Center Friday evening for an update with fire, law enforcement and public health officials.
Megan Beanland of Dolores County Public Health warned older residents and those with respiratory conditions like asthma of the health hazards of smoke, which can restrict airways and reduce oxygen levels, sometimes to a dangerous degree.
“Close your windows, make sure your doors are closed, turn on a fan inside and help circulate some of that indoor air as well,” she recommended.
She added that the county established a loan program for air purifiers, having already lent eight, with eight more remaining.
Smoke from the fire is headed north toward Delta for now, Carolyn Kelly, an air resource specialist said, but eventually will settle toward Dove Creek and potentially toward Cortez.
“It’s going to continue long after the fire is fully contained,” Kelly said, recommending the use of N95 masks as conditions worsen during the mornings and evenings.
Dolores County Sheriff Don Wilson said residents in zones marked “ready” for evacuation should be prepared to leave imminently. He said his deputies knock on doors and leave notes at residences if neighborhoods need to prepare for evacuation orders.
“When we say ready, it doesn’t mean, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re going to blow up.’ Just calm down, take a breath,” Wilson said. “Have your stuff ready that you’re going to take.”
He also cautioned residents about approaching the fire for a view of the blaze.
“It’s a unique fire but we need everybody to stay away so that the firefighters can be safe as they move up and down the road,” Wilson said.