Firefighters hold Indian Creek Fire at bay despite overnight winds
JEFFERSON COUNTY – Firefighters took advantage of better weather to slow the spread of a wildfire burning less than a mile from Golden Wednesday, but U.S. 6 was closed between Highway 119 and Highway 58 in Golden after hillsides soaked by aerial water drops posed a threat of falling rocks.
The fire had scorched 1,211 acres by mid-afternoon, its spread held to only 30 acres by firefighters overnight despite winds gusting up to 75 miles per hour at times.
Although as many as 287 structures remained threatened by the Indian Creek Fire, an earlier evacuation affecting 17 homes and more than 80 businesses was rescinded late Tuesday. But officials held out the possibility of further evacuations as the fire runs across steep, difficult terrain with no road access, making control efforts even more difficult for the more than 290 firefighters from state, local and federal agencies at the scene.
Officials also restricted access along Golden Gate Canyon Road earlier Wednesday after they became concerned that traffic would complicate the battle to contain the fire.
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said the fire was about 25 percent contained Wednesday afternoon, because “firefighters dealing with difficult terrain minimized its spread from 1,180 acres overnight.”
The aerial assault on the perimeter of the fire resumed Wednesday, aided by additional aircraft. A heavy tanker plane joined two single-engine air tankers along with a third helicopter, dropping water and fire retardant, according to the spokesman.
And a national Incident Management Team from the Great Basin Coordination Center, an interagency group that coordinates firefighting efforts, arrived on the scene Wednesday and took command of the control efforts.
The fire started Saturday morning and spread quickly, burning through the largely way through the Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forest fueled largely by forest debris and extremely dry grass.
County commissioners have issued an emergency declaration and all unincorporated areas of the county are under burning restrictions as firefighters continue trying to hold back a wind-driven fire north of Colorado Highway 6 near Golden.
The Indian Creek Fire had scorched more than 1,200 acres but, although it was only 25-percent contained at mid-day Wednesday, firefighters dealing with difficult terrain minimized its spread from 1,180 acres overnight. That came despite winds gusting to 75 miles an hour Tuesday night. The fire forced authorities to issue an evacuation order for 17 homes and more than 80 businesses west of Colorado Highway 93, but the order was rescinded late Tuesday night and residents were allowed to return home.
Golden Gate Canyon Road was re-opened as residents trickled back to their homes, but closed again Wednesday morning because the additional traffic was creating potential problems for firefighters.
The cost of the fire was estimated at $680,000 and climbing late Tuesday.
The Indian Creek Fire and two smaller ones that broke out this week prompted the three-member Board of County Commissioners to issue a “Disaster/Emergency Declaration.” The declaration enables the county to call in state and federal fire-fighting resources and to seek reimbursement for part of the cost of fighting the fire.
“The fires are in areas where it is difficult for emergency services to respond and weather is under Red Flag conditions, which will increase the risk of additional fires. The need for outside resources to include air and ground resources will exceed Jefferson County’s capabilities,” according to a county statement released after commissioners issued the emergency declaration
The smaller fires, one near Evergreen and another near Conifer, were quickly contained.
The Indian Creek Fire is not expected to be 100 percent contained until Sunday at the earliest, according to the National Fire Center.
The three fires also prompted Jeffco Sheriff Ted Mink to issue a temporary fire ban prohibiting any “open flame” including trash and debris burning, charcoal fires, most outdoor smoking and other activities on both public and private land in unincorporated Jefferson County. See the entire fire ban at: http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/jeffco/news_uploads/hot_topics/sheriff_fire_ban.pdf.
“While the fire remains a few miles away from Golden Gate Canyon Drive, this is an excellent opportunity for residents to prepare their homes by creating defensible space and themselves by putting together kits with personal belongings” said Incident Commander Rowdy Muir.
