MEEKER | Firefighters from the Northwest Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit continue to manage the 2,571-acre Hunt Fire on Bureau of Land Management land about 26 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County. Lightning ignited the fire on Thursday, Sept. 5. It is remotely located, burning in thick brush on ridges and valleys north of the Roan Plateau.
Fire behavior has been minimal over the past several days under cool, humid conditions. It is 20% contained. Hot spots continue to smolder within the burned area, and these can be expected to become increasingly evident as conditions dry out through the weekend. Weather is forecasted to be clear and sunny with very little wind for the next several days. Forecasters are calling for clear, sunny skies, with high temperatures in the 70s today, climbing back into the 80s over the weekend.
Fire crews will try again today to complete firing operations along Big Jimmy Road, as conditions appear more promising for a successful burn. Crews also continue to scout burned areas to identify where pockets of heat persist, and where the fire has cooled. Fire managers’ objective is to keep the fire north of the Rio Blanco/Garfield County line, south of a gas pipeline that is located north of the fire, east of Hunter Creek and west of West Willow Creek.
The area closure for the Hunt Fire (Closure Order #CONOS000-19-01) is still in effect. The area closure includes public lands and routes within an area north of Rio Blanco/Garfield County line, east of Hunter Creek Road, west of West Willow Creek Road, and extending north to County Road 5, including Big Jimmy Gulch. The BLM recognizes the impact that the fire and area closure may have on hunters and aims to open up public access to as much of the area as possible, as soon as it is safe to do so.
A total of 58 personnel are assigned to the fire, including one hand crew, one module, and five engines. For the latest information about the Hunt Fire, visit the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Facebook Page, @RioBlancoCountySheriffsOffice, or on Inciweb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6583/
