Aircraft operations made several reconnaissance passes over the fire throughout the burn period and only interior smokes were spotted. Fuels within the fire line will continue to burn, the statement said.
A Burned Area Emergency Response team, made up of officials from several federal agencies, is ready to start work to identify and manage potential risks to resources, such as erosion problems that could impact the watershed or increase flooding. Once the team determines whether there are imminent post-wildfire threats to human safety, property or natural resources, officials will take immediate action to manage the unacceptable risks, according to a report.
The team will implement actions to help stabilize soil and control flooding that could be expected within the first year following containment of the fire. In most cases, only a portion of the burned area is actually treated.
Severely burned areas, such as steep slopes and places where water runoff will be excessive, will be seeded or mulched and temporary barriers will be installed.
A weather front that was expected to move in Sunday night could cause fire activity to pick up
across the interior of the fire today. Gusty winds of 30 to 40 miles an hour are expected.
“Fire lines will be tested but the fire is not expected to cross,” fire officials reported.
A total of 529 firefighters continue to work on the blaze.
Firefighters plan to patrol and monitor the western, northwestern and eastern portions of the fire to conduct mop up operations.
“Along the northern flank of the fire, crews also will be engaging in significant backhaul operations of equipment no longer needed in that area. On the southern end of the fire, crews also will monitor and patrol while completing the backhaul operations,” fire officials reported.
The fire destroyed a total of nine homes and 17 outbuildings after it was sparked by a downed power line Oct. 17 and high winds pushed it over a 12 mile swath of Custer and Pueblo counties.
During the initial days of the fire, about 600 residents were evacuated.
Custer County Road 386 is the only road that remains closed.
Some of the public lands in and near the fire remain closed.
The closure area has been reduced to allow greater public access and to help minimize the impact on tourism, hunting and the local economy.
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