The firefighters attacking the Hope Fire utilized Monday’s weather to improve the lines and manage the fire’s edge, paving the way for controlling the wildfire as dry and warm weather approaches this week.
The rain decreased the wildfire, located in the Dolores Ranger District, northwest of McPhee Reservoir.
The 106 fire personnel continued to prep and enhance the direct and indirect control features Tuesday to lessen any impacts in the upcoming days.
Direct control features means that firefighters build containment lines directly at the fire’s edge. The strategy is commonly used for low-intensity fires.
On the flip side, indirect control is usually enforced during moderate- to high-intensity fires and suppressing the fire is usually performed at a distance, often hundreds or thousands of meters away from the fire’s edge in order to protect the firefighters.
Fire personnel continued to allow the fire to burn within its lines, which were originally built to manage a prescribed burn. As firefighters patrol and secure the containment lines, “interior pockets of vegetation” will proceed to burn.
As of 10:23 a.m. Tuesday, the fires was 9% contained at 1,290 acres.
As temperatures were recorded in the 60s and wind gusts were measured up to 40 mph, humidity values minimally rose from previous days but declined between 22% and 25%. Temperatures were expected to rise to 73 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday.
