Heartstrong
Fire
Below is information received from GayLene Rossieter, Acting Fire Information Officer, Colorado State Forest Service.
(Updated 1:20
p.m., March 19)
Fire
Jurisdiction: Yuma
County
Location/County: South of Highway 34 between towns of
Eckley and Yuma in Yuma County
Start Date: Sunday, March 18,
approximately 1:15 p.m.
Cause: Under investigation, but potentially due
to a downed power line from high winds
Acres/Land
Ownership: Approximately
24,000 acres of half grass/crop fields on private lands
Containment: 100 percent
Evacuations: The
evacuation order for the town of Eckley was lifted late last night; the
approximate 200-square mile evacuated area around the fire was lifted
today
Closures:
Highway 34 reopened from
the town of Eckley to County Road L
Injuries to
Date: Three firefighters
injured
Structures Lost/Damaged: Two homes destroyed;
other structure damages still to be determined
Other Values
at Risk: Number of
livestock lost currently undetermined
Significant
Events: High winds and
thick smoke mixed with dirt decreased during the night, helping firefighter
contain the fire. Today, fire crews and deputies drove through the burn area to
manage hot spots and flare-ups. The Civil Air Patrol surveyed the extent of the
fire’s damage earlier today.
Resources: Primarily local emergency response agencies, including
nine volunteer fire departments and four other volunteer fire departments on
standby. Regional agencies from northeast Colorado and western Kansas also
assisted to control the fire.
EFF/FEMA
Status: N/A
Source: Yuma County Sheriff’s Office
Today’s
Fire Outlook
- The fire situation rating for the Rocky Mountain Area remains at Preparedness Level 1, indicating that there is minimal large fire activity nationally. Most Geographic Areas have low to moderate fire danger. There is little or no commitment of national resources.
- A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 7 p.m. tonight for southern Colorado, including Baca, Prowers and Eastern Las Animas counties. For more information, go to www.weather.gov/alerts-beta/co.php?x=1. A map can be viewed at www.wrh.noaa.gov/firewx/main.php.
- This afternoon will be partly sunny in the area of the Heartstrong Fire with a high near 58 and northwest winds between 5 and 10 mph. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low near 30. Blustery north winds between 5 and 10 mph may increase to 15 and 20 mph with gusts possible as high as 30 mph.
This report is also available
online at http://csfs.colostate.edu or download the Heartstrong Fire Update.
