Information from the Pine Ridge Fire Public Information Officer
Weather: Weather
as forecasted for today will be similar to yesterday. Hot and dry conditions will remain in
place with a chance of late isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Over the fire, gusty, erratic winds and stray
dry lightning will be primary concerns.
Current Situation: Firefighters worked hard yesterday to contain 65% of the fire perimeter,
located on the west, north and east sides.
Today, firefighters will continue to search for hot areas to continue
towards achieving 100% fire containment.
Fire activity has slowed, but isolated burning within the interior of
the fire is still expected. Safety
hazards firefighters are dealing with are trees falling over, working in areas
of rocky terrain with cliffs, and extremely hot temperatures creating a
potential for dehydration.
Evacuations and Public Safety: The pre-evacuation order for all
residents in and around DeBeque has been lifted. Lifting of the pre-evacuation order
allows for large animals and livestock to return. Currently, fire officials do not anticipate
any further movement of the fire perimeter.
Because of isolated burning within the interior of the fire, smoke will
continue to be seen. A smoke advisory is
still in effect for Mesa County. Mesa
County Health Department urges people to use caution when they are in areas
where smoke can be seen and/or smelled.
Special Prevention Message: Fourth of July is a time to gather family and friends for a picnic or
barbeque. Fireworks are usually part of
the festivities. However, due to the high
and extreme fire danger, the public is urged to adhere to the statewide open
burn ban and ban on private use of fireworks.
Many communities still intend on holding 4th of July
celebrations, even without fireworks.
For information on the State of Colorado burn ban, visit Colorado
Division of Emergency Management at http://www.coemergency.com/p/fire-bans-and-fire-danger-rating.html.
On public land, use
of fireworks is prohibited as well.
Other restrictions are also in place, like prohibition of campfires,
even in campgrounds and picnic areas.
Visit http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html
for more information on the closure order.
Fire Statistics
Location: 13
miles east of Grand Junction, CO in the Bookcliffs
Start Date: June
27, 2012
Size: 13,920 acres
Percent
Contained: 65
Cause:
Lightning
Total Personnel: 532
Cost: $2,430,000
Resources Include: 4 Type 1 hand crews,
5 Type 2 hand crews, 35 engines, 6 water tenders, and overhead personnel
Air Resources: 3 helicopters
and fixed wing support
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team- Bill Hahnenberg,
Incident Commander
Fire Information (970) 456-3623; (970) 283-1038
Email:
pineridgefireinfo@gmail.com
Hours of operation: 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
