That's the word from Greg Heule, public information officer trainee for the Great Basin Type 1 management team, who's been working the early shift at the incident command post for much of this past week. But challenges continue for firefighters due to the weekend rise of the Reservoir Road fire near Loveland, which is burning largely unchecked at this point, with hundreds of acres destroyed.
According to Heule, "we've got 915 personnel" working the 6,250 acres of Fourmile, "but that's in flux. We already have some resources up at the fire west of Loveland, and resources we are staging at at this point that won't go out on this fire, but won't go there until we have a better handle on what they need."Those resources include some that fly.
"We've got three Type-1 helicopters that are working on that fire," he points out. "Because air resources are shared resources, if we need one of those helicopters, it can come back to our fire, because it's not that far away."
Heavy air tankers are also now assigned to Reservoir Road. That leaves a Type-3 helicopter at Fourmile "mostly for if we need an emergency evac -- if someone's injured, or if we need air resources to put out hot spots," Heule notes. "But the Reservoir Road fire will use the concentration of resources."
In the meantime, the injury total for Fourmile stands at just four, "which we're really proud of," says Heule. "Folks on the line are doing a wonderful job of keeping each other safe."
Such firefighters are currently in the process of "shifting from fire suppression to rehabilitation of the fire line." For example, Heule explains, "in places where we cut line in and the line is in an area on a steep slope, where should it rain, it'll collect water, it could run down and create severe erosion. So we have a process of putting in water bars. Those divert water out of the area where we've disturbed the soil in order to minimize runoff and erosion that could take place. And when we're cutting fire line with a bulldozer, that can leave a pretty ugly scar -- but we can do a pretty good job of making it look more natural."
As for the prospect of more severe problems, what with another warm, dry day on tap, Heule says, "We're very confident with our line on the exterior of the fire. However, we do have uncontained line on the interior of the fire, and lots of unburned territory -- and there are several areas where there is some some heat. Those are our concerns -- that and the weather indices, which show the potential for a large fire is greater today than it was yesterday. Our concern is that if something gets going on the interior, and gets the opportunity to get to unburned fuel, it could burn really well. So we want to stay on top of that."At the same time, Heule emphasizes that the latter is a worst-case scenario. And while the incident command post will remain in place for a few days more even if 100 percent containment is reached later today, firefighters believe the end of the Fourmile crisis is finally near.
"We're extremely grateful to the community for their support," Heule adds. "Not only their support of firefighters, but folks who've been displaced and have had their homes damaged or destroyed. The community came together in an incredible manner right from the get-go, and I'm sure they'll continue to do so when we're long gone."
There'll certainly be a need, as evidenced by the latest roster of destroyed structures: 166 (a little less than the originally reported 172), most of them homes. Page down to see the list, as well as a release about donations, which have positively overwhelmed those tasked with storing them:
Destroyed structure list:
1. 639 Arroyo Chico2. 1133 Arroyo Chico
3. 1195 Arroyo Chico
4. 1243 Arroyo Chico
5. 1275 Arroyo Chico
6. 304 Camino Bosque
7. 98A County Road 83
8. 100 County Road 83
9. 479 County Road 83
10. 1141 County Road 83
11. 1143 County Road 83
12. 1149 County Road 83
13. 1254 County Road 83
14. 1453 County Road 83
15. 1462 County Road 83
16. 1566 County Road 83
17. 1613 County Road 83
18. 515 Dixon Road
19. 698 Dixon Road
20. 921 Dixon Road (main house undamaged; first historic house burned)
21. 921 Dixon Road (main house undamaged; second history house burned)
22. 997 Dixon Road
23. 1270 Dixon Road
24. 100B Emerson Gulch
25. 560 Emerson Gulch Road
26. 756 Emerson Gulch Road
27. 1059 Emerson Gulch Road
28. 601 Escape Route
29. 1154 Escape Route
30. 1193 Escape Route
31. 3470 Fourmile Canyon Drive
32. 3472 Fourmile Canyon Drive
33. 3474 Fourmile Canyon Drive
34. 3478 Fourmile Canyon Drive
35. 4367 Fourmile Canyon Drive
36. 4369 Fourmile Canyon Drive
37. 6040 Fourmile Canyon Drive
38. 6060 Fourmile Canyon Drive
39. 6130 Fourmile Canyon Drive
40. 6186A Fourmile Canyon Drive
41. 6186B Fourmile Canyon Drive
42. 6210 Fourmile Canyon Drive
43. 424 Fred Road
44. 487 Fred Road
45. 579 Fred Road
46. 682 Fred Road
47. 822 Fred Road
48. 10063 Gold Hill Road
49. 270 Gold Run Road
50. 300 Gold Run Road
51. 363 Gold Run Road (outbuilding burned - house still standing)
52. 365 Gold Run Road
53. 490 Gold Run Road
54. 546 Gold Run Road
55. 632 Gold Run Road
56. 640 Gold Run Road
57. 1158 Gold Run Road
58. 1448 Gold Run Road
59. 1488 Gold Run Road
60. 1625 Gold Run Road
61. 1627 Gold Run Road
62. 1629 Gold Run Road
63. 1633 Gold Run Road
64. 1 Gold Trail
65. 215 Gold Trail
66. 227 Gold Trail
67. 233 Gold Trail
68. 946 LaBelle Road
69. 254 Left Fork Road
70. 333 Left Fork Road
71. 531 Left Fork Road
72. 589 Left Fork Road
73. 728 Left Fork Road
74. 748 Left Fork Road
75. 750 Left Fork Road
76. 751 Left Fork Road
77. 753 Left Fork Road
78. 34 Logan Mill Road
79. 450 Melvina Hill Road
80. 589 Melvina Hill Road
81. 611 Melvina Hill Road
82. 805 Melvina Hill Road
83. 849 Melvina Hill Road
84. 1005 Melvina Hill Road
85. 1081 Melvina Hill Road
86. 1103 Melvina Hill Road
87. 1112 Melvina Hill Road
88. 1403 Melvina Hill Road
89. 45 Misty Vale
90. 88 Misty Vale
91. 90 Misty Vale
92. 92 Misty Vale
93. 52 Mountain King Road
94. 134 Mountain King Road
95. 165 Mountain King Road
96. 210 Mountain King Road
97. 349 Mountain King Road
98. 367 Mountain King Road
99. Unknown number between 134 and 210 Mountain King Road
100. 280 Nancy Mine Road
101. 833 Nancy Mine Road
102. 959-B Nancy Mine Road
103. 198 Plains View Road
104. 406 Puma Walk
105. 407 Puma Walk (possibly an outbuilding to 406 Puma - destroyed)
106. 300 Rim Road
107. Unknown address between 300-330 Rim Road
108. 324 Rim Road
109. 366 Rim Road
110. 448 Rim Road
111. 450 Rim Road
112. 452 Rim Road
113. 454 Rim Road
114. 526 Rim Road
115. 4352 Sunshine Canyon (main house standing - garage and apt. destroyed)
116. 4602 Sunshine Canyon
117. 4604 Sunshine Canyon
118. 4610 Sunshine Canyon
119. 4789 Sunshine Canyon
120. 4791 Sunshine Canyon
121. 4793 Sunshine Canyon
122. 5188 Sunshine Canyon
123. 5207 Sunshine Canyon
124. 5216 Sunshine Canyon
125. 5330 Sunshine Canyon
126. 5387 Sunshine Canyon
127. 5401 Sunshine Canyon
128. 5415 Sunshine Canyon
129. 5546 Sunshine Canyon
130. 5550 Sunshine Canyon (possibly destroyed - house # not on county map)
131. 5554 Sunshine Canyon (unknown structure)
132. 5657 Sunshine Canyon
133. 5695 Sunshine Canyon
134. 5779 Sunshine Canyon
135. 5810 Sunshine Canyon
136. 5841 Sunshine Canyon
137. 5879 Sunshine Canyon
138. 6095 Sunshine Canyon
139. 6101 Sunshine Canyon
140. 6191 Sunshine Canyon
141. 6297 Sunshine Canyon
142. 6299 Sunshine Canyon
143. 6301 Sunshine Canyon
144. 6305 Sunshine Canyon
145. 6310 Sunshine Canyon
146. 6317 Sunshine Canyon
147. 6319 Sunshine Canyon
148. 6320 Sunshine Canyon
149. 6553 Sunshine Canyon
150. 6601 Sunshine Canyon
151. 6801 Sunshine Canyon
152. 6927 Sunshine Canyon
153. 7875 Sunshine Canyon
154. 7878 Sunshine Canyon
155. 365 Whispering Pines
156. 369 Whispering Pines
157. 374 Whispering Pines
158. 400 Whispering Pines
159. 454 Whispering Pines
160. 503 Wild Turkey Trail
161. 509 Wild Turkey Trail
162. 556 Wild Turkey Trail
163. 560 Wild Turkey Trail
164. 719 Wild Turkey Trail
165. 739 Wild Turkey Trail
166. 741 Wild Turkey Trail
Boulder County release:
Donations to Firefighters and EvacueesThe Great Basin Type I Incident Management Team would like to thank the community of Boulder for their very generous donations to the firefighters who are working on the Fourmile Canyon Fire. The management team and firefighters cannot adequately express the level of gratitude they feel for all the items that have been brought to fire camp.
Unfortunately, these donations are overwhelming the capacity of the fire camp to manage, store and consume them. The firefighters are fed daily by a contract caterer who provides the firefighters with all the food they require, including the calories and nutritional requirements they need to keep up the hard work that they do. This contract pays the caterer for each firefighter in camp regardless of whether they eat or not. From this point on, please do not bring food or other donated items to the fire camp. You can continue to show support for firefighters by the placement of thank you signs on fences and in your yards. These are messages are seen by all firefighters and are greatly appreciated.
Donations to assist the evacuees or firefighters who have lost their homes can be taken to the address below. If you want your donation to go to the firefighters clearly label it "Firefighters". If it is not specifically labeled, it will be distributed to any people who are in need. Send donations to: 3111 28th Street in Boulder
Item that have already been brought to the fire camp are being sent to a distribution center in Boulder to be either distributed to the evacuees from the fire or stored in a warehouse for future use by local firefighters.
Monetary donations to local fire fighters affected by the fire are also being accepted at all First Bank locations under the Fourmile Canyon Benefit Fund. Contributions can be either mailed in or dropped off. Texting the word FIRE to 27722 will give $10.00 to the benefit fund
For those people who would like to donate to a cause that would benefit wildland firefighters and their families on a national level contact:
Wildland Firefighters Foundation 2049 Airport Way Boise, ID 83705 208-336-2996 [email protected]
Once again, we cannot express how much we appreciate the heartfelt thanks of your donations of food and other items (especially the cookies and the notes from the kids!).
