Firefighters battling wildfires across the Western Slope are making gradual progress slowing fire growth and increasing containment, officials said Saturday.
Four of the state’s actively growing wildfires reported minimal growth Friday into Saturday, with afternoon rain helping fire crews on Colorado’s largest wildfire, the 15,413-acre Turner Gulch fire near Gateway.
Fire crews increased containment on the 2,274-acre Sowbelly fire to 50% as of Saturday, according to federal fire maps. The fire is burning in the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area near Delta.
The wildfires, four of which ignited in a lightning storm last week, have burned more than 24,000 acres in western Colorado.
A Friday afternoon storm brought enough rain to dampen parts of the state’s largest wildfire, but the Turner Gulch fire is still burning along the east and southwest edges near the Mesa County community of Gateway, fire officials said Saturday.
The fire grew 127 acres Friday, bringing the blaze to 15,413 acres with 34% containment as of Saturday.
Although fire growth has slowed considerably since flames roared across thousands of acres this week, firefighters are still trying to figure out how to access the most remote sections of the Turner Gulch fire and nearby Wright Draw fire, which is burning on 448 acres to the west, on the other side of Unaweep Canyon.
Both fires are burning through a mix of extremely dry trees, brush and grass, including gambel oak, which fire officials said is particularly volatile.
The fires have damaged at least one outbuilding and a U.S. Forest Service building.
Fire crews will continue building and strengthening fire lines with bulldozers, hand tools and strategic burning, officials said Saturday. Crews planned to fly over the most treacherous terrain on both fires to try to develop a containment plan.
The U.S. Forest Service on Saturday closed a section of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests to the public for safety concerns. The forest is closed from Divide Road to the north to County Road 24.4 to the west and along Forest Road 408 to the south and east.
Homes along Colorado 141 remain on pre-evacuation status, and the highway is still closed in both directions between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The wildfire in Utah and Colorado has burned 15,892 acres as of Saturday, with 17% contained — up from 6% Friday. While most of the fire has burned across eastern Utah, more than 1,800 acres of Colorado land have been torched.
Federal maps show the east edge of the fire is burning along Montrose County Road T2 and County Road U2, about 3 miles west of Paradox.
Fire crews continue to focus on building fire lines west of Paradox to create a fire break around the community, officials said Saturday.
There is a community meeting at the Paradox Community Center, 21665 600 Road, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Utah Fire officials said. The meeting will focus on evacuation zones in the Paradox Valley.
More than 500 firefighters and experts responding to the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park kept the fire from making any large runs Friday, with the fire’s footprint growing just 27 acres as of Saturday.
The lightning-sparked blaze is burning on 4,251 acres in Montrose County, and containment remains at 14%, fire officials said Saturday.
Fire crews are focused on building and strengthening fire lines by removing vegetation, extinguishing hot spots and strategic burning. The wildfire is still burning in the Black Canyon, which is too steep for firefighters to access directly.
When weather allows, pilots will use drones to drop pingpong-size balls of chemicals to ignite small fires around the perimeter, which helps reinforce fire lines. Using drones limits the risk to firefighters, officials said.
The fire has damaged or destroyed several buildings and other infrastructure in the national park, including the facility management building, Western National Parks warehouse, welding shop, some heavy equipment and the South Rim campground.
The national park is closed to the public until further notice. None of the previously issued evacuation orders has been lifted, and several areas west, south and southeast of the fire — including the Bostwick Park area — remain under evacuation orders, according to the evacuation map.
Colorado 347 is remains closed at the junction of U.S. 50. and the Blue Mesa Reservoir is closed west of Middle Bridge. The Lake Fort Boat Ramp is closed for boat launches.
This is a developing story and may be updated.