With no rain in the near forecast and temperatures hovering in the 70s this week, Derby Fire officials said smoke will be more noticeable as crews work to add more containment. Wind throughout the week is expected to be mild.
As of Monday, the wildfire had burned 5,475 acres -- an area of around 8.5 square miles -- since igniting on Aug. 16 in rugged terrain in northwest Eagle County. A lightning strike is cited as the cause of the fire.
Containment remained at 6 percent on Monday, with 578 total personnel assigned to the fire to go with four aircraft, 27 engines and 12 pieces of heavy equipment.
A Monday update from the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 reports that a spike camp has been set up near West Fork Red Dirt Creek, east of the fire edge, allowing hotshot crews to reduce travel time to where they are building a direct line on the fire's edge. The hotshots are working south to eventually meet crews working up from Poison Creek on the southeast corner. This assignment may take several days to complete, according to the Monday report.
A combined group of 30 hotshots and highly skilled medical personnel will return by helicopter to the Hack Lake area to continue their work on the western perimeter. Being transported by helicopter allows the crew to save time and conserve energy, rather than making an arduous hike to the fireline. An Unmanned Aerial System will also scout for areas of heat in spots outside the perimeter in the northwest portion of the fire and south of the Flat Top Wilderness area. UAS reconnaissance flights identify areas of heat, providing crews with coordinates to effectively locate them.
Firefighters continue backhauling excess structure protection equipment from areas where it is no longer needed. Crews continue to patrol and monitor the southern portion of the fire, searching out areas of heat and extinguishing them as they work towards containment. Crews will also monitor and maintain structure protection systems that remain along the Sweetwater, Sheep Creek, and Red Dirt Creek roads.
Fire restrictions and closures remain in place for lands within the Bureau of Land Management and in the White River National Forest.
The Colorado River, Sweetwater, and Red Dirt Creek roads have all been reopened, and the Garfield County and Eagle County Sheriff's Offices have changed the evacuation status for Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek and Red Dirt Creek areas to pre-evacuation (READY) status. Residents in the area are advised to continue checking ECEmergency.org for updates.
A temporary flight restriction is in place over the Derby Fire. All unauthorized aircraft (including drones) are prohibited from flying near the fire, as they can interfere with authorized air support operations.