CANON CITY, COLO -- Update 12:00pm Wednesday
Fire officials are calling today a day of transition on the Parkdale Canyon fire. The Rocky Mountain Type 2 Incident Management Team assumed responsibility for the fire last night at 8 p.m.
Incident commander Todd Pechota says, "The team took over the fire and it’s in really good shape thanks to the hard work of the initial attack forces on the fire for the past two days".
The Type 2 team is working to size-up the fire area and develop an operational plan for the coming days.
Restoring power to the Copper Canyon area is high on the agenda for today. Black Hills Energy workers are on scene and hope to have power restored soon.
Highway 50 will be down to a single lane with a pilot car operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. It will then re-open to two way traffic at 8 p.m. tomorrow night.
Parkdale Canyon Fire Statistics at a Glance:
· Time/Date Started: June 21, 2010 approximately 2:30 p.m.
· Location: Canon City, Colorado
· Cause: Under Investigation
· Estimated Cost: $325,000
· Fuels: Pinyon-Juniper, grass-sage
· Size: 700 acres
· Containment: 15%
· Injuries: one minor dehydration injury
· Resources Committed: 1 type one crew, 3 type two crews, 19 engines, 2 type one helicopters, 1 type three helicopter, 2 single engine air tankers available at Fremont Co. airport, 4 heavy air tankers at Jefferson Co.airport, 275 personnel
Informaiton provided by Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team B
Update 8:30pm Tuesday
Crews battle a destructive fire in Fremont County for a second day.
The Parkdale Canyon fire is burning west of Canon City along Highway 50.
It’s in an area between the Royal Gorge and the town of Parkdale.
Fire officials say 700 acres have burned so far and the fire is 15 percent contained.
Today it was confirmed that the home of the Fremont County coroner Dr. Dorothy Twellman burned down.
Another home was also damaged.
175 fire fighters are working the fire and more have been ordered.
The huge plumes of thick smoke seen yesterday are now gone.
But fire officials warn this fire is far from out.
A light haze of smoke clings to the hills as the fire continues to eat through pinion and juniper.
Dana Pittman lives near the fire and was at home when it started yesterday.
"They wanted everyone to evacuate that’s easier said than done in some cases i had my car packed and what not if I needed to go," said nearby resident Dana Pittman.
Today only a handful of the mandatory evacuations were lifted.
"We did selectively allow a few folks north of highway 50 to return home that were originally included in the evacuations," said Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker.
Rafting through the Royal Gorge is still off limits and the bridge and nearby Buckskin Joes are both closed.
It’s a devastating blow in a shaky economy during the height of the short tourist season.
"These folks are tremendously impacted and they are frustrated and upset I am asking for their patience," Sheriff Beicker said.
Crews say their priority is to keep the fire where it is so it can’t damage anymore homes.
"If this fire were to jump highway 50 or county road 61 that would that’s a huge concern and that’s why you are seeing the efforts that you are," Beicker said.
The Fremont County Sheriff won’t say exactly how the fire started but he seems to be indicating it could have been set intentionally.
"We believe its man caused I will go that far… it’s currently being investigated by BLM and my office jointly… the investigation started last night and continued today very aggressively," Beicker said.
About six dozen homes in the area lost power during the fire.
Crews aren’t sure when they will be able to make repairs to get the power back on.
Update 2:30pm Tuesday
As of 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, fire officials say the Parkdale Fire is now 15% contained.
Some progress was made in fighting the fire this morning as weather conditions were milder than expected.
Firefighters are working to protect structures and keep the fire south of Highway 50, west of County Road 61, and north and east of the Arkansas River.
Black Hills Energy is working on repairing damaged powerlines and restoring power to properties near the fire area.
The Royal Gorge Bridge, Buckskin Joe, the KOA campground, and areas north of Highway 9 are still closed and will remain so until the fire no longer poses a threat to those areas. The river through the Gorge is closed to rafting.
A Type 2 Incident Management Team is arriving today. Resources committed to the fire include: five firefighter crews, 21 engines, three helicopters (two large and one small), one large airtanker, two single engine airtankers, and a fixed-wing aircraft for aerial support. There are approximately 175 fire personnel assigned to the fire.
Information provided by the Bureau of Land Management
Update 6am Tuesday
The battle continues against a wildfire burning outside Canon City, however some evacuation orders issued Monday are now lifted.
They include people living along the immediate corridor of Highway 50 east of County Road 61.
Also, Highway 50 is reopened to one-way traffic guided by a pilot car.
Crews worked through the night building the fireline and completing burnout operations along the northwest perimeter.
Several structures are destroyed but officials have not confirmed if those structures were homes.
Evacuation orders remain for the KOA campground, Buckskin Joe, the Royal Gorge Bridge and areas north of Highway 9.
Also, rafting along the Arkansas River in that area remains suspended.
The Parkdale Canyon fire started Monday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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