The Willow Fire is now 50% contained, but there is still a lot of heat in the interior, reports the Dolores County Office of Emergency Management.
The wildfire has burned about 26 acres in a steep canyon west of the Salter Y, and north of the Lower Dolores River Canyon. It was started by lightning.
There are 25 fire personnel on the fire, down from 68 over the weekend. A hand line has been created around the perimeter and two water tenders are on the scene. Mop up operations are ongoing.
The Pike Hotshot crew working the fire has been redeployed to another wildfire.
On Monday, a tree on the fire’s perimeter caught fire and threatened to spread the blaze.
“It was quickly knocked down, heat and wind are still very much a concern,” states a Dolores County Emergency Management Facebook post.
The fire burned ponderosa and mixed conifer on private property and San Juan National Forest land within Montezuma and Dolores Counties.
Four single-engine air tankers and a helicopter were called in as an initial attack Friday. Pleasant View and Dove Creek Fire Departments, and state and federal firefighters, responded on the ground.
National Forest public information officer Rebecca Robbins said the only property damage from the fire was minor damage to fence posts. There are no injuries.
There are currently no Forest Service road closures or evacuations in place and Ferris Canyon is open for campers.
“We expect the fire to be fully contained in the next 2 to 3 days,” Robbins stated in an email.
