Daily Summary 6/20/2012
Incident: Little Sand Wildfire
Released: 6/20/2012
Little Sand Fire Daily Update - June 20, 2012
Public meetings will be held on June 20 at 1:30 PM
Sportsman's Campground Recreation Hall
North on Piedra Road (approx. 13 miles) and
June 21 at 6:30 PM Pagosa Community Center
Located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd
Winds, warm temperatures, and low humidity caused the fire to move farther up the North Fork and Big Sand drainages on the northwest side of the Little Sand fire. Despite the fire's growth, fire manager's report the Red Flag conditions were not as extreme as predicted. The northeast portion of the fire near Weminuche Valley had very little activity due to the shading & cooling from the smoke column created by fire activity to the northwest. The fire remains near the Valley floor, but because of favorable conditions the fire's progress was slowed.
A high pressure system is expected to move into the area over the next few days which will result in milder wind conditions; however, there is still heat around most of the fire so firefighters will remain vigilant. Twenty-four hour point protection will continue at the two ranches in the Weminuche Valley, as well as patrolling and monitoring the mostly contained east side of the fire.
At this time, most campgrounds and businesses in the Piedra area are open. The Williams Creek Campground was closed in May for non-fire related reasons. Guides and outfitters who normally work in the area around the fire are still accepting clients and most have been re-routed and are still in operation.
For the latest fire restrictions see local counties websites. For San Juan National Forest closures visit: http://tinyurl.com/littlesandclosures
For Little Sand Fire Information, call (970) 444-2201. Or visit Websites: http://www.acemergency.org/ and http://www.inciweb.org/
Fire stats at a glance:
Start Date: May 13th, 2012
Cause: Lightning
Acreage: 14,224
Containment: 30%
Personnel: 195
Hand crews: 3
Cooperating Agencies: Hinsdale County, Archuleta County, USFS, CSFS
Aviation: 4 Helicopters
Engines: 9
Dozer: 1
Injuries: 2
Structures destroyed: 0
Cost to date: $4.314 Million
