Monday, June 17, 2013

Big Meadows Fire is now 95% Contained

During the day, operations staff on the Big Meadows Fire provided support for initial attack response to a 1/10 acre fire on Keyser Ridge approximately 15 miles to the south/southwest of the incident helibase. The medium helicopter assigned to the Big Meadows Fire was used for initial attack response.

Operations for tomorrow will emphasize monitoring within the fire perimeter and back-hauling of equipment. Fire-fighting resources on the fire tomorrow, June 18th, will include two wildland fire modules of eight fire-fighters each and two fire engines. The incident will retain the use of one ‘air attack’ light plane, two light helicopters, and one medium helicopter.

The weather pattern for tomorrow, June 18th, will be similar to that experienced today. High temperatures will approach the lower 70s, relative humidity will be moderate, and winds will be generally 10-15 mph in the early morning, with gusts in the late afternoon that approach 30 mph. A chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon may bring erratic winds to the area with likely less moisture than those that have occurred in the last two days.

All backcountry overnight campsites will reopen in the Timber Creek drainage beginning tomorrow, June 18th. As usual, permits are required to camp in the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail closures will continue in effect for the Onahu Trail, the Green Mountain Trail, and the lower Tonahutu Trail. Trail closures do affect a section of the Continental Divide Trail that passes through the park. Visitors to the park should check the Rocky Mountain National Park website for the latest information regarding trail closures and alerts: www.nps.gov/romo.

All major roads and facilities in Rocky Mountain National Park are open as are our neighboring communities of Grand Lake and Estes Park. Visitors are strongly cautioned to be aware of increased traffic and aircraft associated with the fire. Keep alert, don’t get hurt.


Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

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