GMUG expands closure in the vicinity of Elk Wildfire
For the safety of firefighters and the public, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests’ Gunnison Ranger District has expanded the closure area in the vicinity of the Elk Wildfire effective yesterday at noon. You can find a map of the closure here.
Fires rotate management teams
An important component of weeks-long firefighting operations is rotating management teams. This allows decision makers to get proper rest, so they’re not worn out while making decisions that lives depend on. The Gold Mountain Fire was initially being managed by the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3, but they passed the responsibility onto Team 2 last week.
That fire is now burning over 37,000 acres. Firefighters are continuing to improve fire lines along the Highway 550 corridor and north along the fire perimeter to Cow Creek. They are utilizing woodchippers to convert brush, shrubs, and small trees that were removed during line construction into small wood chips. Crews are securing the fire edge around Nate Creek by linking fire line with natural features. Firefighters are working on reinforcing indirect fire line to the north along the western forest boundary and east toward BLM lands, then moving back to the south toward Silver Jack Reservoir. As they construct and reinforce the lines, they are also implementing point protection around structures, installing pumps and hoses to protect homes and other values at risk from the fire. Large water tanks, pumps, and hose are also being put in place to provide water where no natural sources exist. Aerial resources continue to monitor the inaccessible southern fire perimeter.
And the Aspen Acres fire also recently transitioned management teams. The Alaska Complex Incident Management Team 1 started management operations, but handed things over yesterday to Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6.
That fire is now burning over 99,000 acres. Officials warned yesterday Wednesday that the fire poses a serious threat to Rye. The structure protection group is also mitigating threats to properties in the Rye area and all along the west side of the fire, including other communities to the north and west. County sheriffs and fire managers are meeting daily to discuss operations and evacuation levels. Officials say that everyone wants to see residents return home, but not before it is safe to do so.
Wildfires impact businesses trying to recover from dry winter
For some mountain communities, summer was supposed to be a chance to recover from a difficult winter season. Instead, wildfires across the Mountain West are bringing new economic challenges. The Mountain West News Bureau's Rachel reports.
Choosing to remember: A view from the borderlands
Immigration is often in the headlines, but one story that's less often told is what happens to the people who go missing while trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Volunteer search teams regularly head into the desert, hoping to find those who have disappeared and bring answers to their families.
Earlier this month, KDNK's Raleigh Burleigh traveled to El Paso, Texas, to volunteer with one of those organizations. He shares this report.
