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The Willow fire, burning near the Lower Dolores River Canyon has scorched 30 acres and is 30% contained, according to the Dolores County Office of Emergency Management.
There were 68 personnel working the fire over the weekend, and it had dropped to 45 by Monday.
Hand lines have been created around its perimeter, according to an emergency management Facebook post Saturday night.
Mop-up operations are expected to begin today if conditions do not change.
The fire is northeast of the Lone Dome Recreation area in the Willow Draw area. It was first reported Friday and quickly grew to while being pushed by gusty winds.
By Saturday morning, it had grown to 30 acres, according to fire officials.
The wildfire burned in ponderosa and mixed conifer in a steep canyon on private land and San Juan National Forest. A full suppression strategy was ordered, said Dolores District Ranger Derek Padilla. The fire was spotted by the Benchmark Lookout fire tower.
Single-engine air tankers and a helicopter were called in as an initial attack. Pleasant View Fire Department, state and federal firefighters, including the Pike Hot Shot Crew, responded on the ground.
The fire has not grown much since the weekend, but interior smoldering and creeping within the perimeter continues, said Tom Rice, San Juan National Forest recreation planner, who was assigned to the fire.
On Friday, Dolores County Office of Emergency Management issued an evacuation notice for Forest Road 521A and the area around and north of Ferris Reservoir. No roads have been closed, but the public is asked to steer clear of the area.
By Saturday night, the wind died down and fire crews had kept the fire at 30 acres. A hand line around its perimeter was installed.
An investigation indicated that the fire started by a tree struck by lightning earlier last week, Rice said. The fire started on national forest land in Montezuma County and moved north onto private land in Dolores County.
“The main risk is dry weather and winds expected on Monday,” states the Dolores County Office of Emergency Management Facebook post Sunday evening.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
