The 416 Fire grew to 5,103 acres on Thursday as the blaze intensified on the southwest side near the Hermosa Creek Drainage and prompted the evacuation of nearly 500 homes.
More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated since the fire began, and more than 1,500 face pre-evacuation orders.
The fire remained at 10 percent containment.
Hot, dry and windy weather has helped the fire spread quickly, mostly on the southwest side near Hermosa. The fire reached the Lower Hermosa Campground on Wednesday evening, said Vickie Russo, a spokeswoman for the Type II team managing the blaze.
Federal firefighters have not released the cause of the 416 Fire, which started last Friday. A federal wildfire information database, InciWeb, lists the cause as “unknown.” A longitude and latitude entered into the database pinpoints the fire just west of the train tracks in an area where nothing else is around.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is not taking responsibility for the fire, but that could change based on the outcome of local and federal fire investigations, General Manager John Harper told The Durango Herald on Tuesday.
“We are working with the investigators to see what the cause is,” he said Tuesday. “There are three possible causes right now. Whichever one of the causes it happens (to be), then we will work with them to find a solution.”
Harper declined to elaborate on the three possible causes, saying he didn’t want to speak on behalf of investigators.
On Wednesday, the fire grew to 4,000 acres, up from 3,000 acres on Tuesday. By Thursday, it had grown to 5,103 acres.
Aerial missions had been planned Wednesday for the south flank of the fire, but fire officials said conditions on the ground didn’t warrant the flights.
Bethany Urban, a spokeswoman for the Type II firefighting team, said the crews were starting to make progress toward building containment lines rather than working on direct suppression and attack.
“We’re really trying to get ahead and prepare those areas so that they can scout ahead of the fire and identify locations that they can engage the fire so if it does start to spread they can engage it in an area that is safe to do so,” she said.
Six helicopters are available to fight the fire, but they will be used only if it is necessary to aid the overall firefighting strategy, she said.
“We’re using those as conditions warrant,” Urban said. “It kind of depends on the conditions of the weather as well as what they’re trying to drop on, what kind of trees, what type of ground cover, and given that the topography is so complex, there are some areas where it’s effective to drop suppressants from the choppers and others where it’s not really very effective.”
On Thursday, efforts shifted to the Hermosa area of the fire’s footprint.
“The priority today will be in the Hermosa area, which is on the south side,” Russo said Thursday morning. “That’s pretty much where we’re putting everyone, most of the crews. The fire is just getting too close for comfort to those structures and the residences.”
New evacuation orders were issued to 497 homes late Wednesday night, giving residents until 6 a.m. Thursday to leave. The evacuations included residences north from Cometti/Mead Lane to the intersection of County Road 250C and U.S. Highway 550. The evacuation also included County Roads 201, 202, the north end of 203 and adjacent neighborhoods.
Another pre-evacuation notice was issued for 751 residences from Mead/Cometti/Albrecht Lane south to Trimble Lane west from the Animas River to include Falls Creek Ranch, Hidden Meadows, Dalton Ranch north of Trimble Lane and Durango Regency.
The U.S. Postal Service has limited about 800 deliveries off Highway 550 north of Mead Lane. The mail, including checks and prescriptions, is being held at the Durango Post Office, 222 W. Eighth St.
Highway 550 was expected to close until the evacuations are complete, then reopen to residents with a police escort. Drivers will not be allowed to stop or drive down side roads through the corridor.
“Our top concern is public safety and firefighter safety,” Russo said. “Whatever we need to do to keep the firefighters safe, whatever we need to do to keep the public safe, we’re going to be proactive about.”
Spot fires continue to be a problem for firefighters. One spot fire grew to 10 acres Wednesday on the west side of Highway 550 and east of an existing fire line.
“It was really active yesterday (Wednesday). A lot of it is because of the warm, dry conditions, and a lot of it was because of the wind. We’re still in those severe fire conditions right now and that’s what we’re up against. Conditions are not in our favor.”
Russo said the new evacuations will give firefighters better access to fight the fires.
Almost 620 firefighters were assigned to the blaze Thursday, with a majority of forces assigned to the southwest of the fire to protect homes in the Hermosa area. Crews will use sprinkler kits and will attempt to use hand crews and dozers to build containment lines to gain control of the fire.
“They’re doing a lot of what they did yesterday, they’re just ramping it up,” Russo said Thursday. “A lot of things have been done in preparation in case it comes down to protecting houses.”
Though the fire is growing mainly on the southwest side, the blaze is also expanding to the north, which prompted 34 homes to be placed on pre-evacuation notice Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters will continue to battle against “severe fire weather,” Russo said. Temperatures will be in the high 80s and 10 to 15 mph winds, with gusts that could reach up to 30 mph. There will be a minimum humidity from 6 to 11 percent. Smoke from the fire should clear out of Durango around 2 p.m., Russo said.
Crews will have the aid of six helicopters fighting the blaze with water drops. Slurry drops aren’t as effective on this fire for a number of reasons, including airplane visibility, proximity to the ground, and the effect slurry has in fighting the fire.
“Being able to do those bucket drops right now is crucial because they can really pinpoint where they’re going to drop,” Russo said.
“Also with the smoke in the air, visibility being a little bit lower, they can be at a lower elevation than the big tankers. If the big tankers can’t see the ground, then they can’t drop. Because of the canopy cover and with how dry it is, slurry isn’t a good tool right now. It’s not penetrating the canopy of the trees to get to the ground, and if it does get to the ground, the way the conditions are, it’s not as effective. Water is much more effective right now. Right tool for the job is what we’re looking at right now.”
asemadeni@durangoherald.com