DAILY UPDATE: Royal Gorge Fire
June 12, 2013, 12 p.m. noon
Contact: Royal Gorge Fire, Public Information Officer
Phone Number: 719-285-9750
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Firefighters continue work on Royal Gorge Fire, Highway 50 remains closed west of Canon City
Key Facts as of 12 noon
· Fire size is estimated at 3,800 acres and 0 percent containment
· Incident personnel size is estimated at 150
· 250 people have been evacuated from their homes
The Royal Gorge Fire continues to burn west of Canon City. Fire behavior is expected to remain active today. The public can expect to see smoke throughout the afternoon as firefighters continue to protect structures and other infrastructure. Fire managers expect the temperatures to remain high throughout Wednesday with lower wind gusts in a South-easterly direction.
Mandatory Evacuations remain in effect from Parkdale to the Canon City Water treatment plant, south of highway 50; and east from County Road 3 to Canon City. U.S. Highway 50 is closed in both directions from the Canon City Water treatment plant (1st Street) to Highway 9. Temple Canyon road has also been closed.
Road closures are in place to allow firefighters to operate safely in the area.
Evacuees are welcome at the Red Cross Shelter that has been set up at the Evangelical Free Church, 3000 E. Main St. Canon City, CO.
“The number one priority is the safety of the public and to minimize risk to firefighters,” said Dennis Page, Incident Commander for the Royal Gorge Fire. “We have many firefighters from multiple jurisdictions working together on this incident and have jelled well, with no accidents or injuries to date.”
Over the evening hours Tuesday, fire managers were able to conduct a successful burn out of fuels along a portion of the southern flank of the fire. This was done to secure a strong point to anchor firefighting operations.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
As of noon today, Fremont County and Canon City Area Fire Protection District will initiate Stage I fire restrictions. For more information on these fire restrictions, log on to www.fremontco.com or call 719-276-5555.
