Firefighters from the Northwest Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit continue to manage the Hunt Fire on Bureau of Land Management land about 26 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.
Lightning ignited the fire on Thursday, Sept. 5. It is remotely located, burning in thick brush on ridges and valleys north of the Roan Plateau.
More precise mapping of the fire Tuesday determining its size to be 2,571 acres. Wednesday’s weather was cool and rainy, with high temperatures in the mid-60’s, and windy, with gusts to 30 mph. A large storm system moved through the area, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms. A warming, drying trend is forecasted through the weekend.
Crews are scouting the burned area to determine where heat remains and where the fire has cooled. At press time the fire is 10% contained, based on areas of the fire that are cold.
Crews have begun to prepare containment lines by cutting back brush around historic cabins, power poles, and buried gas pipelines, as well as burning out fuels along Big Jimmy Road.
These containment lines will reduce the risk of the fire escaping the desired containment area if fire activity were to increase. Fire managers’ objective is to keep the fire north of the Rio Blanco/Garfield County line, south of a gas pipeline that is located north of the fire, east of Hunter Creek and west of West Willow Creek.
An area closure (Closure Order #CONOS000-19-01) is in effect to provide for firefighter and public safety in the area around the wildfire. The area closure includes public lands and routes within an area north of Rio Blanco/Garfield County line, east of Hunter Creek Road, west of West Willow Creek Road, and extending north to County Road 5. This includes Big Jimmy Gulch.
A total of 96 personnel are assigned to the fire, including one Type 1 helicopter, two hand crews, two modules, six engines, and a water tender.