More than 100 firefighters were fighting four fires burning Tuesday on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, which likely were started by a lightning storm Sunday afternoon.
The largest, the Montezuma Creek Fire, had burned 5 to 10 acres. The other three fires are burning less than 1 acre. They have been named the Kerns, Madrid and Round Meadow fires.
Four fire engines, a heavy air tanker, a single-engine air tanker and a hand crew were working on the blazes Tuesday, according to the Durango Interagency Incident Management Team.
Another hand crew of 20 firefighters, three more engines and a water tender also were on their way, said Steve Orr, a public information officer for the fire. That would bring another 31 to 35 personnel to the fires Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
The heat and lack of moisture were not helping firefighters, but afternoon winds on Tuesday were fairly gentle, “which is encouraging,” Orr said.
“Our focus is on containing the existing fires and responding rapidly to new fires,” Incident Commander Rich Gustafson said in a press release Tuesday morning.
The Montezuma Creek Fire is in Archuleta County south of Pagosa Springs in an area known as Archuleta Mesa, said Lindsey Box, a spokeswoman for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The fires are burning close to the southeastern boundary of the reservation.
The June 3 lighting storm moved through the area with about 200 lightning strikes hitting the eastern side of the reservation, according to the press release. Several calls reported smoke in the area after the storm. Crews and personnel are coming from the tribe, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Boulder County, Orr said.
Continued warm and dry weather is in the forecast through the weekend.
While this fire apparently was caused by lightning, Orr reminded residents that Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place across La Plata and Montezuma counties and federal and tribal lands, with no campfires or any open burns permitted.
