East Peak Fire: Smoke Column Grows in Late Afternoon: #EastPeakFire 6/22/13

This afternoon the fire progressed further into the wilderness running uphill causing a large smoke column. A wind shift occurred causing the fire blow back on itself. Air and ground resources are continuing to aggressively work this area of the fire.

Tonight, west winds are expected to decrease into the early morning hours. The minimum temperatures should be in the mid 50’s and the relative humidity is expected to recover to 25%. “A red flag warning has been issued for Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for gusty winds low relative humidity high Haines Index and dry fuels”, says incident meteorologist Darren Clabo. A high Haines Index refers to the potential for rapid fire growth due to dry and unstable atmospheric conditions.

The evacuation center for large and small animals has been closed, however small animals can be taken to Noah’s Ark in Trinidad. They can be contacted at719-680-1063

There are an estimated 300 properties within the evacuation area. An American Red Cross shelter has been established at the John Mall High School in Walsenburg, Colorado.

There are current mandatory evacuations in effect east of La Veta, west of I-25, and south of Walsenburg to Las Animas County line to include the following county roads—310, 310.1, 310.2, 312, 312.1, 313, 314, 315, 315.1, 316, 317, 317.1, 318, 320, 330, 331, 332, 340, 340.1, 342, 343, 344, 345, 360, 360.1, 363. The Black Hawk Ranch Subdivision and Silver Spur Subdivision are also under mandatory evacuation.

There is another community meeting scheduled for Sunday, June 23, at 7 p.m. at the Walsenburg Community Center located at 928 Russell Street.

Information about this and other fires can be found at www.inciweb.org. Follow us on Twitter @TeamC_FireInfo. To read a message from the Incident Commander and other information on Team C visit http://sites.google.com/site/rmteamc/

Facts at a Glance


  • Start Date: June 19, 2013
  • Size: Estimated at: 11,365 acres
  • Location: 10 Miles Southwest of Walsenburg, Colorado burning private, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management lands
  • Resources Committed: State, Local, and Federal Resources
  • Cause: Lightning
  • Percent Contained: 10%
  • Personnel: 317
  • Injuries to date: 0
  • Area Closure: Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area is closed east of Highway 12

Information provided by the East Peak Fire Public Information Office
eastpeakfire@gmail.com
@EastPeakPIO
719-315-4808
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