Cameron Peak Fire Explodes on Sunday

[WyoDoug]

This fire is going to affect at least the southern areas of Wyoming too especially the area from Laramie and westward. Probably hurt Idaho a bit too. This fire will get much worse before it gets better.

Cameron Peak Fire explodes to 96,462 acres west of Fort Collins

The Cameron Peak Fire exploded to 96,462 acres on Monday, with firefighters facing extreme fire behavior on the north and east fronts of the blaze burning west of Fort Collins. Evacuations increase…

www.reporterherald.com

 

[Saranac84]

The fire isn’t close to Wyoming. It’s been burning south and east, not north.

And how on earth will this fire hurt Idaho?

 

[WyoDoug]

The fire isn’t close to Wyoming. It’s been burning south and east, not north.

And how on earth will this fire hurt Idaho?

I stand corrected on Idaho. I misread the map where RMNP and the FS area was. But as for Wyoming, all it will take right now is a change of wind direction. Right now the winds are going generally south easterly direction. The effect will be largely smoke not the fire itself. As for Idaho, there is a ton of private between the NF, RMNP and the fire and not so much fuel. Wind direction to Wyoming could potentially push the fire to the north and to the border. Right now fire is 4% contained and they are managing it as a wild fire where they let it burn and focus on structure protection for the most part. I am hoping that the wind stays easterly and stays minimal so that don't happen. We just had a grass fire caused by illegal fireworks that burned from Cheyenne to within a few miles of the Colorado border in just a few hours so this fire could quite easily do more damage if the wind shifts unless we get moisture soon and not just an inch or so. Just last Monday it was reported at around 60,000 acres now it is over 102,000 acres and growing fast.

Where I think it will affect Wyoming is if the wind direction goes back to the north or north easterly direction where we were once getting wind from it. I also think it could be of some benefit to hunters in Wyoming because I think some of the big game will move north to escape the fire and the smoke. Right now the perimeter of the Cameron Peak fire is less than 1/2 hour drive from Cheyenne which would be about 30 miles. The fire area now is more than 30 miles long north to south. It has burned over 160 square miles (102,596 acres) and there is a lot of fuel between the fire and the Wyoming border if the wind shifts to the north and it is not yet contained on the north end. It is very dry in this area of the country so that area between the fire and Wyoming could burn quite easily. Currently, the fire is 4% contained. Sunday it was reported at 6% contained.

You are right though on Idaho, the Cameron Peak fire is not likely to affect Idaho much other than smoke if it goes that direction. I was thinking it was right on the border on the map I was looking at.

 

[WyoDoug]

Here is why I think Wyoming will be affected by the Cameron Peak fire, several thoughts and reasons:

1) When cover and food supply is destroyed by the fire, big game like elk, deer and moose are forced to relocate, usually to unburned nearby areas and often into neighboring communities. Otherwise, they are vulnerable to increased depredation and hunting. They usually do eventually return but they do move when food and cover no longer exists. Otherwise, wild animals generally ignore smoke. Highly territorial animals like bears and lions move even further. If the areas they move into are already full they keep moving until they find space with enough cover and food to feed through the winter. By spring, and after new growth has appeared, you will usually find them back in their home territories.

2) Intense smoke. My observation only, when smoke is intense it burns eyes of even the wildest animals and they move away from it. Otherwise it is ignored. We had such intense smoke last week from this fire that visibility was reduced to about 100 yards and my blood oxygen dropped down to the high 70s and I ended up taking a sick day and staying inside. It has to affect wild animals too.

3) Increased human activity around active fires - this moves them more than you realize. Not as much as hunting pressure but they do move.

The FS ranger that is hunting the same areas I do for deer and my leftover cow tag around Laramie said he was seeing a lot more deer and elk than usual and his thoughts was the fire is pushing them.

Fire forced migration I think is temporary in nature and animals will likely return to their home territory once new growth starts and they have food and cover again.

 

[vanish]

Thank goodness for that early snow storm. It really put a stranglehold on this fire just in time. It was staged to run all the way to Fort Collins.

 

[WyoDoug]

Thank goodness for that early snow storm. It really put a stranglehold on this fire just in time. It was staged to run all the way to Fort Collins.

I know you could see it from I-25 at least the orange glow from it. I am wondering if it will be enough though. What I hear is it just slowed the fire down some.

 

[Dsnow9]

It’s now burning the area the high park Fire did in ‘12. Hopefully that slows it’s eastward speed.

 

[TOGIE]

it was really looking to take a south eastward jump though, which i think is why the sheriff went bonkers with mandatory evacuations past pennock pass over the weekend. especially with that "3 mile wide crown run" that basically went from before crown point to pingree park rd in a day

i'm banking on the FS closure easing up by 3rd rifle, if not i'll be turning my deer tag back in. if it doesn't flare back up over the next week or two i'll feel comfortable holding onto it. but i still want to call the FS ranger district and cpw to see if they feel comfortable speculating on closures easing up by then

 

[WyoDoug]

I am hoping the snowstorm was enough. Otherwise, there is a lot of fuel headed up north in the FS area if the hot spots heat up again. The GIS progression map shows a quite a bit of northward fire progression still. Right now we are getting drizzling rain up and down the frontrange and into Cheyenne and Laramie so I am hoping it is enough to put it out.

GIS Progression map can be viewed here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=821eb2bac47c48c69558075f21365f01

 

[BuzzH]

Took this picture last Saturday, its still quite a ways from Wyoming.

 

[SandyCreek]

its not going to make wyoming.. it put a massive run on monday but the run was mostly east through 19. when i went out of cell service sunday i cam back out right after the snow and i couldn't believe how much it had blown up. there was good chunks of burned material not just ash raining down on the porch

 

[WyoDoug]

It also exploded on the NW corner of the fire perimeter. However, due to wet weather right now and what is forecasted, it will not go much further north. Main worry is the smoke and even that is dying down according to the last reports I got in Cheyenne.

 

[Saranac84]

The fire grew along it's northern edge but certainly did not explode. It moved to the NE and there was concern it would reach Glacier View and Red Feather. The majority of additional acreage was to the south and east.

In a perfect world, this fire would have burned NW and cleaned up the beetle kill. Instead it jumped the highway to rugged ridges and healthier forests along the south side of the Poudre Canyon. Hopefully the onset of fall and the High Park scar will slow things down.

Bad info is worse than no info...

 

[WyoDoug]

The fire grew along it's northern edge but certainly did not explode. It moved to the NE and there was concern it would reach Glacier View and Red Feather. The majority of additional acreage was to the south and east.

In a perfect world, this fire would have burned NW and cleaned up the beetle kill. Instead it jumped the highway to rugged ridges and healthier forests along the south side of the Poudre Canyon. Hopefully the onset of fall and the High Park scar will slow things down.

Bad info is worse than no info...

Dude, first if you gotta insult take it where the sun don shine. (trying to avoid language Randy's uncle would use)

Second we are NOT talking about the same area. The NW sector is way west of HWY 14. I am talking between County Road 103 and NF 177. And when you look at the GIS progression map for the last two days especially Sunday-Monday, it most certainly DID explode or is that technically burn fast???? Yer right, bad info is better than no info. At least I posted the GIS progression map for people to see.

 

[Oak]

i'm banking on the FS closure easing up by 3rd rifle, if not i'll be turning my deer tag back in. if it doesn't flare back up over the next week or two i'll feel comfortable holding onto it. but i still want to call the FS ranger district and cpw to see if they feel comfortable speculating on closures easing up by then

It will be interesting to see how long the closures last for these large fires (Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak). The nearly 14,000-acre Pine Ridge Fire near Grand Junction in the summer of 2012 resulted in a closure that lasted more than two years.

 

[WyoDoug]

It will be interesting to see how long the closures last for these large fires (Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak). The nearly 14,000-acre Pine Ridge Fire near Grand Junction in the summer of 2012 resulted in a closure that lasted more than two years.

I think the closures will last until the drought improves a bit more. That is just talking to the FS ranger I met in Laramie scouting possible cow elk areas. There is a problem with a lot of people irresponsible with camp fires and letting then burn unattended and sparks caused by mufflers or chains dragging on rocks and that. In Laramie County, we have issues with people throwing cigarette butts out and grass fires are getting started from that alone. Your thoughts are probably right on point...year to two years or so. We had above average rainfall for our area but last few months have been incredibly dry and very hot.

 

[Saranac84]

Doug, the GIS info and articles are helpful. Your speculation surrounding an area you seem to be unfamiliar with is not. But please let me know when the fire crosses into Idaho.

I hope the impacts on recreation in the Poudre Canyon aren't terrible but I'm not optimistic. It was 7 years after the after the High Park fire that the Young Gulch trail reopened. Multiple heavily used trails have burned over the past few weeks. I imagine crowding will get substantially worse if large portions of the canyon are off limits. Plus there's the mudslides and terrible river conditions after heavy rains.

 

[TOGIE]

It will be interesting to see how long the closures last for these large fires (Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak). The nearly 14,000-acre Pine Ridge Fire near Grand Junction in the summer of 2012 resulted in a closure that lasted more than two years.

That’s a good reminder.

though, at least for me, where I intend to hunt is far outside the burn area, but pretty much every acre of NF in the unit grouping up there is closed.

the fire would have to rip through red feather and beyond to burn where I want to hunt. So I really hope they don’t see a reason to keep unburned NF closed once full containment is achieved, if it is achieved, by 3rd rifle

 

[WyoDoug]

Colorado now has total statewide fire ban. Going to be interesting for those of us that spend time glassing and using fires to stay warm while we do it. Not sure about Wyoming yet. Going to have to check on that myself.

 

[WyoDoug]

Last update I got on Cameroun Peak Fire at 11:00 AM is 102,596 acres burned and still 4% contained. Don't look a lot like any significant new progression so starting to look good anyways looking at the maps..