The Horse Park Fire northeast of Dove Creek has grown to 1,500 acres and is burning near the
The fire was caused by lightning about 10 p.m. Saturday and is burning in San Miguel County near Disappointment Valley, said Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Shannon Borders. The fire is about 5 percent contained and is burning in piñon, juniper and gambel oak brush in a very remote area, Borders said Tuesday.
The fire is moving quickly in warm, dry weather. On Sunday, it was at 1,048 acres, up from 100 acres on Saturday, and on Tuesday, it had grown to 1,500 acres.
Borders said the fire is being managed to protect occupied Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and the Spring Creek Basin wild horse herd. About 65 mustangs roam the 22,000-acre area, managed by the BLM under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
TJ Holmes, a BLM volunteer who helps manage the herd, said the horses were not threatened. The fire has not entered the herd management area, she said, and is burning northeast of the boundary.
“It does not seem like the horses are in any danger,” she said. “The fire appears to be moving north. We are very appreciative of the firefighting efforts.”
Holmes said she saw planes and helicopters drop slurry and water on the fire Sunday through Tuesday. The fire is partly within the McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area.
No structures have been impacted, and there were no closures as of Tuesday, Borders said.
A federal Type 3 wildfire crew was assigned to the incident. A larger Type 2 crew took over Tuesday.
“We are putting more resources toward this fire today,” Borders said Tuesday.
The fire is sending up a large visible plume of smoke. Residents were advised to avoid the area.
Federal and regional firefighters are battling the blaze, including the Hotchkiss Fire Department.
The fire was burning so strong Monday, it forced fire crews to retreat, according to a report in Wildfire Today.
A video released by the Hotchkiss Fire Department to Wildfire Today shows a wall of fire as fire crews drove away in trucks and off-road vehicles.
“We’ve got to go. Go, go!” a firefighter shouted as they pulled away from the flames. “We’re safe now.”
According to a statement by the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, the Horse Park Fire was moving quickly and “in a remote area with limited potential to spread to a populated area. To that end, we encourage everyone to remain calm and stay out of the area.”
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
