Grizzly Creek Fire

On Dec. 18 fire officials called the 32,631-acre Grizzly Creek Fire 100 percent contained following additional snow in the area. The fire had not been active for more than a month, but fire officials were waiting for additional snow in the uncontained areas of the Grizzly Creek drainage (shown in this photo from early November) before calling the fire fully contained. This will be the last post on this site. Additional updates about the Grizzly Creek fire and burned area will be made on U.S. Forest Service - White River National Forest. We appreciate all the public support through this incident!

The White River National Forest has been reseeding specific areas impacted by equipment during fire suppression.

Minimal activity on the west side of upper Grizzly Creek. Firefighters continue to monitor.

Firefighters are continuing to monitor the Grizzly Creek Fire and are reporting occasional smoke, particularly on the recent warm afternoons. The smoke pictured here from yesterday lasted an hour or so as a single tree torched within the burn area. Smoke is mostly from smoldering in the timber litter, duff and some dead and down on the west side of the Grizzly Creek drainage. The fire remains in the steep, rugged terrain difficult for firefighters to access safely. The fire is not currently expected to grow from this activity. Firefighters will continue monitoring and will evaluate the impacts of this weekend’s anticipated moisture.

Grizzly Creek Fire grew 150 acres

EAGLE, Colo. – Since Thursday, the Grizzly Creek fire has grown approximately 150 acres between the west side of Grizzly Creek drainage and No Name drainage. Spot fires also occurred on the east side of the upper Grizzly Creek drainage and ground crews are working to contain these spots. Please do not report smoke visible from area communities.

The fire is now 32,631 acres and 91 percent contained.

Additional resources were called in today to engage the new fire activity: air attack, 2 Large Air Tankers, 1 Very Large Air Tanker, 2 Single Engine Air Tankers, a type 3 helicopter, type 1 helicopter, White River Wildfire module, California Eagle Lake Wildfire Module, Montana BLM type 6 engine, a type 2 Initial Attack crew, and an additional type 2 crew arriving on Saturday.

“Fire behavior today has not showed much growth in acres. Mostly some isolated torching” said Incident Commander Dan Nielsen. “Please respect the area closure of the fire perimeter and remember the White River National Forest and BLM in this area are in Stage 1 fire restrictions.” Nielsen elaborated that the plan is to suppress the fire with ground resources where it is safe to do so. Air resources to the west side of Grizzly Creek will be utilized to slow fire growth. The plan for additional resources to staff the fire will continue to evolve depending on precipitation from this weekend’s predicted snow fall.

If you are hunting, camping or recreating in the area be alerted to changing fire behavior, respect the closure area, and follow Stage 1 fire restrictions which prohibit campfires outside of designated fire rings.

Maps of the current area closure as well as the fire perimeter are available on InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/. Check www.blm.gov or www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver for the latest fire restriction information.

Smoke visible today from the Grizzly Creek Fire from some activity in the Grizzly Creek drainage. About 15 firefighters are working with a helicopter to check its growth. Photo from the Fourmile area by Zac Stansberry from Glenwood Spring Fire Department.

UPDATE Oct 16 9:30 p.m. Firefighters have been able to stop the spread of the new growth with the help of the heavy helicopter.

Oct. 15 The Grizzly Creek Fire is active and has grown about 35 acres since last night in the north Grizzly Creek drainage. We are working the fire with a Type 1 and a Type 3 today to help check its growth.

Firefighters are monitoring smokes that continue to be visible from the Grizzly Creek Fire on warm afternoons and will take action if needed.
Smokes are showing in the Grizzly Creek drainage on the north side of the fire and the Devil’s Hole drainage south of I-70 (pictured yesterday afternoon). They are not posing threats to the fire line, and the fire has not grown. It remains 32,431 acres and 91 percent contained.
Eight firefighters from the White River Fire Module are on the ground monitoring the fire. A type 3 helicopter with five crew members is assigned and available in Rifle when needed.
An area closure remains in place within the fire perimeter, and both the BLM and the White River National Forest are in Stage 1 fire restrictions. Maps of the current area closure as well as the fire perimeter are available on InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/. Check www.blm.gov or www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver for the latest fire restriction information.

Things continue to be quiet on the Grizzly Creek Fire. A small group of firefighters continue to monitor the open line in Grizzly Creek and will take action if needed.

We will be lifting the closure of the Transfer Trail Road tomorrow now that fire-line suppression repair in that area is complete.

The closure covering the fire perimeter remains unchanged. Maps of the closure and fire perimeter are available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/.

We ask that people visiting the area respect the fire closure because there still is some activity in the upper Grizzly Creek drainage and within the interior of the fire perimeter. Fire personnel and air resources are still working the fire. Red flag warnings in the upcoming days that could change fire behavior at any time.

Hiking trails into the burned area including Hanging Lake, Grizzly Creek and No Name remain closed.

The BLM boat launch at Dotsero Landing remains open for take-out only. Cottonwood Landing above Dotsero remains open for put-in and take-out. (Lyons Gulch and Catamount close for construction Monday). The Colorado River recreation areas from Dotsero through Glenwood Canyon to No Name remain closed.

The Grizzly Creek Fire has not grown in several weeks. It remains 32,431 acres and 91 percent contained. There are 11 firefighters assigned. Additional resources including aircraft are available if activity increases.

Today firefighters used a helicopter to help keep fire activity in Grizzly Creek from expanding up the drainage.

With warm weather forecast through the week, firefighters expect similar fire and firefighting activity around the upper Grizzly Creek drainage. The Grizzly Creek Fire is not currently growing, but it is putting up smoke along the uncontained line in the steep, rugged drainage.

Maps of the current Forest and BLM closures as well as the fire perimeter are available on InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/. Firefighters urge people recreating in the area of the Grizzly Creek Fire to respect the existing fire closure, which was recently reduced in size to allow more public access to the area.

The Grizzly Creek Fire remains 32,431 acres and 91 percent contained, with 18 firefighters and a helicopter working the fire.

The White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management are further reducing the area closed for the Grizzly Creek Fire as more suppression repair work has been completed and fire activity has continued to moderate.

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 19 the area closure will be reduced to include only the area burned by the Grizzly Creek Fire (the fire perimeter) and the Transfer Trail Road.

“Suppression repair work is continuing on Transfer Trail, and we anticipate we will be able to open that road next weekend,” said White River Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams. “The fire perimeter remains closed both for public safety and to reduce additional impacts to the burned areas.”

“We know there is a lot of interest in accessing these areas for recreation, including hunting,” said BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Larry Sandoval. "We’ve continued to work with firefighters to reduce the closure area where it is safe to do so."

Hiking trails into the burned area including Hanging Lake, Grizzly Creek and No Name remain closed.

The BLM boat launch at Dotsero Landing remains open for take-out only. Lyon’s Gulch and Cottonwood Landing above Dotsero remain open for put-in and take-out. The Colorado River recreation areas from Dotsero through Glenwood Canyon to No Name remain closed.

The Grizzly Creek Fire has not grown in several weeks. It remains 32,341 acres and 91 percent contained.

Maps of the closure and fire are available online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/, https://www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver, and https://www.blm.gov/colorado.
U.S. Forest Service - White River National Forest

Work continues on the Grizzly Creek Fire, which remains 91 percent contained and 32,341 acres. Firefighters are monitoring the areas where some smokes are showing. There are about 40 firefighters assigned to the fire today. Suppression repair is proceeding on Transfer Trail. This picture shows how logs, brush and soil are returned to the dozer line, which had been bare mineral soil to be an effective fire break. It looks a little rough now, but this allows the area to better recover by preventing erosion and creating protected areas for seeds to germinate. New plant growth will come this spring. Photo by Vincent Nielsen.

Today, firefighters will continue to monitor Grizzly and No Name creeks for smokes and will take action if needed. A helicopter did make a couple of bucket drops in Grizzly Creek yesterday to help with smokes that were popping up. No fire growth or other concerns. The fire remains 32,341 acres and 91 percent contained. Firefighters expect some activity as conditions warm, particularly in areas within the fire perimeter that have not burned yet. Suppression repair continues on Transfer Trail. The local Type 3 team transfers to a local Type 4 team tomorrow, reflecting that fewer resources are now on the fire as progress continues.

The Grizzly Creek Fire remains 32,431 acres and 91 percent contained. Today we have 55 personnel assigned to the fire. We are starting to see more smokes in Grizzly Creek and No Name Creek drainages as the weather warms and conditions dry. Firefighters are monitoring these areas and will respond if necessary. Many of these smokes are interior islands of unburned vegetation that are unlikely to spread outside of the burned perimeter. We are also continuing with suppression line repair along Transfer Trail and other areas. Photo by Heavy Equipment Boss Vincent Nielsen.

Grizzly Creek Fire updated their phone number.

Grizzly Creek Fire Update
Grizzly Creek Information – 970-930-1850
September 14, 2020

Firefighters get first-hand look at hot spots in Grizzly Creek drainage

EAGLE, Colo. – Yesterday, two firefighters were ferried by helicopter into the Grizzly Creek drainage to get a closer look at four hot spots near the edge of uncontained line discovered during previous surveillance flights and drone operations.

Division North Supervisor Dusty Calfee and Task Force Leader Jake Fischer spent seven hours in the drainage, reaching three of the four most prominent hot spots and getting line around two of the spots.

“What’s causing the heat and smoke is fire coming from down low in the duff,” Calfee said. “It’s leaf litter, needle cast and small branches, and it’s that creeping, smoldering type of fire that doesn’t always get spotted by helicopters.”

Calfee and Fischer hiked through 8-foot high brush, and crossed through shin-deep water multiple times. They noted several other locations during their hike showing low-intensity heat.

“This is not the type of fire activity that poses an immediate threat,” said Calfee. “At the moment, fire activity is minimal. If it were to find jackpots of fuel, activity could increase and become a threat in dry fall conditions. Should that happen, we may need to take action using aerial resources, or other strategies. We will continue to closely monitor the fire in the drainage, and take action when needed.”

The remote location inside the Grizzly Creek drainage is a safety risk for firefighters due to steep slopes, vertical cliff bands, scree fields and stretches of continuous brush. These factors make it very difficult to construct containment line in all the areas showing heat. The terrain makes it extremely difficult to extricate an injured firefighter if necessary.

Most of the other work being done on the fire involves suppression repair. Excavator work continues on the Transfer Trail Road, which will remain closed until work is complete. On the southern edge of the fire, crews have completed repair of all fire line. They are now cleaning up piles of logs and debris, and starting fence repair and re-seeding.

The Grizzly Creek Fire remains at 32,431 acres, and is 91% contained, with 86 people working on the fire.

The BLM and Forest closures that include the area south of Coffee Pot Road are still in place. A map of the closures is available on InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/.

The BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office and the White River National Forest remain under Stage 2 fire restrictions, which prohibit all campfires and charcoal, even in developed areas. For more information, go to www.blm.gov or www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver.
# # #

Good morning from the Grizzly Creek Fire Incident Command Post. Firefighters are hoping to get a closer look at a few locations in steep terrain on the Northwest edge of the fire where a small amount of fire activity was spotted yesterday. A helicopter crew spotted small puffs of smoke in two locations, and a drone flight showed some heat in a third location (map image).
Today, fire managers will do another recon flight to the area, hoping to get closer look at fire activity and decide what, if any, further action is needed.

Repair crews continue work on the Transfer Trail Road today (photo), and the road will remain closed until the work is completed and heavy equipment is removed (photo). Coffee Pot Road opened yesterday to public traffic. While side roads going north off of Coffee Pot are open, side roads heading south remain closed, and accessed by fire-related traffic only.

Tonight the Grizzly Creek Fire remains 91% contained, and is 32,431 acres. There are still some hot spots within the fire area, which were confirmed today by a helicopter crew. Firefighters continue to monitor the area of uncontained line along the northwest corner of the fire.
Tomorrow, crews will patrol the fire area, and suppression repair work continues in both the North and South divisions, with the help of excavators.

Today, Coffee Pot Road was re-opened to the public (photos), allowing hunters and recreationists back into the BLM and National Forest lands in the area. *Roads going south off of Coffee Pot Road remain closed, due to firefighting activity, and the Transfer Trail Road also remains closed.

As shown in the photos, Coffee Pot Road appears to be in good condition, overall, but drivers are being urged to avoid making ruts, and help keep the surface solid. As for the side roads going north off of Coffee Pot, be very careful. There are some trouble spots, as our North Division Supervisor Dusty Calfee discovered today (photos).
Dusty's truck got stuck in a muddy section of road, and had to get pulled out by another truck. Happens to the best of us, Dusty, and thanks for sharing your photos.

It has been more than a month since the Grizzly Creek Fire started, and soon after came evacuations - including the town of No Name. Kathy Miller was one of those evacuated for more than 2 weeks, so it's easy to understand the joy she shares in being back home in No Name, experiencing the beauty that surrounds communities like hers.
She sent us this photo, along with a message: "So many have asked about the big horn sheep. My first day home in No Name the herd of Rams was in my yard but I didn't have my phone. This morning I did. Feel free to share the photo so everyone knows they are fine. 3 more are not in the photo."
Thank you, Kathy. We're glad to share!

Grizzly Creek Fire Update
Grizzly Creek Information – 970-930-1850
September 11, 2020

Coffee Pot Road to re-open Saturday; Crews continue suppression repair

EAGLE, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management and the White River National Forest will re-open the Coffee Pot Road beginning Saturday, Sept. 12 and are asking the public to recreate in the area responsibly.

“We understand the high public interest in accessing the Coffee Pot Road. We still have crews working in the area, so we are asking people to drive carefully, and if they are hunting, to be aware of their surroundings,” said White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams.

“Be mindful in doing your part to minimize road damage as you drive onto open side roads north of Coffee Pot Road,” said BLM Colorado River Valley Field Manager Larry Sandoval. “If your vehicle begins to cause ruts, please consider other access options, and know that repaired fire suppression lines are not open to motorized travel.”

The BLM and Forest closures that include the area south of Coffee Pot Road are still in place. A map of the closures is available on Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/.

The BLM boat launch at Dotsero Landing will also open Saturday for take-out only. Lyon’s Gulch and Cottonwood Landing above Dotsero remain open for put-in and take-out. The Colorado River recreation areas from Dotsero through Glenwood Canyon to No Name remain closed.

The Transfer Trail Road closure will continue because of the high amount of heavy equipment still working in the area.

The Grizzly Creek Fire remains 32,431 acres (a small reduction this week due to mapping) and 91 percent contained. About 100 personnel remain on the fire, monitoring the open containment lines and continuing suppression repair as roads dry to allow better access.

Rain and snow have helped reduce fire activity. Firefighters are awaiting an infrared flight that will show where any heat may remain after this week’s precipitation.

Meanwhile, the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is continuing its assessment of the fire.

The BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office and the White River National Forest remain under Stage 2 fire restrictions, which prohibit all campfires and charcoal, even in developed areas. For more information, go to www.blm.gov or www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver.

*Note: the Fire map included in this post is from yesterday (9/9), but parameters are unchanged today.

Crews are making good progress with fire suppression repairs in both the South and North divisions of the Grizzly Creek Fire. Operations Section Chief Brian Anderson (photo) just briefed firefighters with today's plan. Among our firefighters, we've got the Unaweep and White River Wildland Fire Modules, along with crews from Alaska - Yukon and Hooper Bay. Some more rain this morning will make roads up top slick, but things should clear this afternoon, with warmer temperatures returning as well.

Acreage: 32,431
Containment: 91%
Personnel: 115

Good morning - and a red sky at morning - looking east from the Grizzly Creek Fire Incident Command Post in the photo.
Crews with the Upper Colorado River Fire Management Team just received their morning radio briefing from Incident Commander Trainee Dan Nielsen. Rain showers are forecast for this afternoon. The fire remains at 32,431 acres and is 91% contained. 115 people are assigned to the fire.

Actualización del incendio Grizzly Creek
9 de septiembre, 2020
Comandante de Gestión de Incidentes: Eric White
Equipo de Gestión de Incidentes del Incendio de la parte alta del Río Colorado Tipo 3


Fecha de inicio: 08/10/2020
Lugar: Glenwood Canyon
Causa: Provocada por humano
Tamaño del incendio: 32,464 acres
Contención: 91%
Total de personal: 270

(EAGLE, Colo) – La humedad de ayer ayudó a moderar aún más el comportamiento del fuego. El personal de bomberos está, en su mayoría, lejos de las líneas de fuego hasta que las condiciones en el suelo se sequen para permitir un mejor acceso. Las actividades de supresión y reparación de supresión se reanudarán cuando se tenga condiciones secas.
Los chubascos dispersos pueden continuar hoy con una mejor posibilidad de lluvia mañana. Se anticipa una tendencia a la sequía este fin de semana.

El incendio de Grizzly Creek sigue estando contenido en un 91 por ciento y no ha crecido en 11 días. Los recursos del fuego seguirán liberándose para regresar a casa o a para ayudar en nuevos incendios.

Hoy, la gestión del incendio de Grizzly Creek pasó del equipo de tipo 1 de Alaska al equipo de tipo 3 de gestión de incidentes de incendios en la parte alta del río Colorado, bajo el mando de Eric White.

Un Equipo de Respuesta a Emergencias en Áreas Quemadas (BAER) está evaluando el fuego para detectar amenazas inminentes posteriores a un incendio forestal para la vida y la seguridad humanas, la propiedad y los recursos naturales o culturales críticos en tierras del Sistema Forestal Nacional. El equipo está compuesto por especialistas en recursos como hidrólogos, geólogos, botánicos, científicos de suelos, arqueólogos, biólogos de vida silvestre e ingenieros.

A menos que las circunstancias cambien, el programa de actualización diaria se reducirá, de ahora en adelante, a una vez cada dos o tres días. Continuaremos proporcionando información actualizada en la página de Facebook de Grizzly Fire, y en nuestro sitio inciWeb (enlaces abajo).

Las áreas de cierres por el incendio incluyen los caminos Coffee Pot y Transfer Trail. Ambas órdenes de cierres y los mapas correspondientes se pueden encontrar aquí. Visite: www.cotrip.org para obtener más información sobre los cierres de carreteras.

Se ha establecido una Restricción Temporal de Vuelo (TFR, por sus siglas en inglés) sobre el incendio. Visite: https://tfr.faa.gov/ para obtener más detalles.
Información sobre el incendio y línea de medios: (970) 930-1850
Correo electrónico: [email protected]
inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/ ♦ https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO ♦

Grizzly Creek Fire Update
September 9, 2020
Incident Commander: Eric White
Type 3 Upper Colorado River Fire Incident Management Team


Start Date: 08/10/2020
Location: Glenwood Canyon
Cause: Human
Fire Size: 32,464 acres
Containment: 91%
Total Personnel: 270


(EAGLE, Colo) – Yesterday’s moisture helped further moderate fire behavior. Fire personnel are mostly away from fire lines until conditions on the ground dry to allow better access. Suppression and suppression repair activities will resume as conditions dry.

Scattered showers may continue today with a better chance of rain tomorrow. A drying trend is anticipated this weekend.

The Grizzly Creek Fire remains 91 percent contained and has not grown in 11 days. Fire resources will continue to be released to travel home or to new fires.

Today, management of the Grizzly Creek Fire transitioned from the Alaska Type 1 team to the Type 3 Upper Colorado River Fire Incident Management Team, under the command of Eric White.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is assessing the fire for imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands. The team is composed of resource specialists such as hydrologists, geologists, botanists, soils scientists, archeologists, wildlife biologists, and engineers.

Unless circumstances change, the daily update schedule will be reduced, going forward, to once every two to three days. We will continue to provide updated information on the Grizzly Fire page, and on our inciWeb site (links below).

Fire closure areas include Coffee Pot and Transfer Trail roads. Both closure orders and associated maps can be found here.
Go to cotrip.org for information on highway closures.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire. Go to https://tfr.faa.gov/ for details.
Fire Information: (970) 930-1850 Email: [email protected]
inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/ ♦ https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO ♦

As the Alaska Type 1 Incident Management Team departs Colorado, we would like to extend our thanks to the residents of Eagle, Glenwood Springs and surrounding communities in the Colorado River Valley who were impacted by the Grizzly Creek Fire and our presence fighting it.

Your tremendous support, cooperation and patience during the past two weeks has been inspiring. We would also like to acknowledge the White River National Forest, BLM Colorado River Valley field office, Colorado Department of Transportation and Garfield and Eagle counties for their assistance and cooperation in trying to restore some semblance of normalcy to fire-impacted communities. It has been an honor and pleasure working with you.

While our assignment ends with the Grizzly Creek Fire at 91% containment, we realize there is still much work to be done and the ramifications of this fire will be long-lived with the potential for mudslides and flooding. We can only hope that Mother Nature decides to give Coloradoans a break; you folks certainly deserve one after what you have endured this summer.

We did find it a bit ironic that on our last day at the fire the weather took a dramatic U-turn and resembled the conditions that we are used to in Alaska. Needless to say, we were not expecting snow and freezing temperatures in early September. Evidently, Alaska and Colorado have more in common than we thought. While we are partial to our home state, we have to admit that northwest Colorado is a special place. We can only hope the landscape heals quickly and Coloradoans can get back to enjoying the beauty that is the Rocky Mountains.

Thanks again.

Norm McDonald
Incident Commander
Alaska Incident Management Team

In honor of the camaraderie that defines the wildland fire and incident management community, the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team leaves you with this gift that will help you tell and share the story of the Grizzly Creek Fire: a complete Grizzly Creek Fire YouTube channel divided into ten playlists ranging from OPS updates to community meetings, field operations to the "Breaking it Down" Live series.

Jeff Surber Fans! Find the complete YouTube archive of Jeff's Operations Updates here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhnH_0e8JdfjmXObZ7dF49wSf9jRl-YYX

Our public information officers have been working behind the scenes here at the command post and virtually in Alaska downloading all 105 Facebook videos produced by both Type 1 teams and uploading and linking them on YouTube.

When you want to share your experience following the Type 1 teams, bookmark and share the Grizzly Creek Fire CO 2020 YouTube Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwFF7-D4X1lbwLm_FFyb38w/

On behalf of the entire team, thank you so much for all of your great questions, support and stamped post cards/thank you banners. Your warmth and welcoming ways remind us all that life on the Western Slope of Colorado truly is special, highlighted by community spirit that has left our fire crews and personnel feeling supported, appreciated and welcomed back. For this and for everything, thank you all.

Jeff Surber Grizzly Creek Fire 2020 Operations Updates Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.