416 Fire spreads to 5,103 acres: Here are the new evacuation, pre-evacuation notices
More evacuation orders issued for residents
- The size of the fire was 5,103 acres as of this morning, growing nearly 1,000 acres Wednesday.
- The 617 firefighters on the scene Wednesday dealt with warmer, drier and windier conditions as the fire moved southwest toward Hermosa Creek.
- The Colorado Department of Transportation moved the south road closure on U.S. Highway 550 to accommodate the new evacuation notification.
FARMINGTON — New developments in the 416 Fire approximately 10 miles north of Durango, Colorado, have prompted new evacuation and pre-evacuation notices for residents as the fire has grown by nearly 1,000 acres.
A mandatory evacuation was issued Wednesday evening for residences in the pre-evacuated Hermosa area north from Cometti/Mead Lane to the intersection of County Road 250C and U.S. Highway 550, according to the La Plata County government Facebook page.
Law enforcement officials started going door to door and notifying residents around 6 a.m. today.
The size of the fire was 5,103 acres as of this morning, growing nearly 1,000 acres Wednesday. It remains about 10 percent contained, according to the Rocky Mountain Type 2 Blue Team, the agency in command of the response to the blaze. The fire started on June 1.
The 617 firefighters on the scene Wednesday dealt with warmer, drier and windier conditions as the fire moved southwest toward Hermosa Creek.
New pre-evacuation notices were issued for 751 residences around 9:05 a.m. today due to the fire's path in the Hermosa Creek drainage.
The new pre-evacuation notices are for residents from Mead/Cometti/Albrecht Lane south to Trimble Lane west from the Animas River.
The area includes Dalton Ranch north of Trimble Lane, Durango Regency, Falls Creek Ranch and Hidden Meadows. Residents and businesses in the new pre- evacuation were notified by a CodeRED message.
The Colorado Department of Transportation moved the south road closure on U.S. Highway 550 to accommodate the new evacuation notification, according to a Colorado Department of Transportation press release.
RELATED:Durango blaze grows; four new fires being battled
The highway was scheduled to reopen for through traffic around noon and remain open until 6 p.m., according to CDOT. Residents should expect U.S. Highway 550 to close if fire activity increases.
The complexity of the fire has prompted the command of the fire to be transitioned to a Rocky Mountain Incident Management Type 1 Team starting Saturday. The team has a greater ability to manage larger, more complex fires than the current Rocky Mountain Type 2 Blue Team.
The Browning Ranch on Browning Parkway in Farmington is available for residents who need to board horses or cows that are being evacuated due to the fires in Colorado. People can contact Chris Maedche at 505-681-3595 for more information.
MORE on 416 FIRE:
416 Fire crews continue to battle blaze near Durango, 550 closed by smoke
416 Fire up to 2,250 acres as highway reopens temporarily
416 Fire burning north of Durango nearly 2,000 acres; more homes evacuated