Firefighters are monitoring the lightning-ignited Cave Creek Fire 20 miles southeast of Meeker and one mile south of the South Fork Campground. The ¼-acre fire was discovered Saturday when a small amount of smoke was visible, but it has likely been smoldering in the moist mixed-conifer forest for at least several weeks when the last lightning came through the area.
Higher-than-average moisture levels in the live and dead fuels may prevent the fire from growing; however, conditions on any given day could cause fire behavior to increase and produce more smoke.
“We’ve had a high amount of moisture over the summer, and now that autumn has arrived, the days are shorter and cooler,” said Blanco District Ranger Curtis Keetch. “Conditions are good for us to closely monitor this remote fire and allow it to play its natural, beneficial role in the ecosystem.”
Firefighters will continue to monitor the fire and have established locations where they will begin suppressing the fire if necessary. Currently no closures are in place, but the public should avoid traveling near the fire or in recently burned areas.
“Taking advantage of this opportunity to reduce wildfire fuels now will help us if a fire were to start in this area in a different year when conditions could be more extreme,” Keetch said.
