Derby Fire containment begins to trickle in as evacuation orders get downgraded, closures lift

Two percent is better than nothing.

At Monday night’s community meeting in Gypsum, Ben Patton, the operations section chief for the interagency team managing the large wildfire in the northwest corner of Eagle County, said he expected containment soon.

That expectation started to become reality on Tuesday as containment hit 2% on the blaze, which has burned 5,346 acres — an area that’s more than 8 square miles.

As of Tuesday evening, there are some 846 personnel assigned to the fire. The fire gained almost 200 more personnel in the last few days, primarily additional handcrews and engines. There are currently 15 handcrews, 44 engines, four bulldozers and six helicopters assigned to the fire, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

The Derby Fire was the top-priority wildfire in the country last week, given its threat to structures. Fire officials on the Derby Fire Facebook page said resource needs are evaluated daily and increased or decreased depending on the needs of the fire.

Fire crews have made substantial strides in the last few days, building a mix of dozer and hand line and working that in with existing roads to build a long portion of perimeter around the most intense portion of the blaze.

“Containment is when that supervisor feels like it can maintain wind, weather, and maintain that fire’s edge,” Patton said at Monday’s meeting.

He also said that almost every structure that was threatened is now protected.

“We’re down to just our last few buildings,” he said.

While crews have been working around the clock, the weather has provided the biggest assist as cooler temperatures and sustained rainfall have kept the fire in check. An early start to precipitation on Tuesday morning saw the fire experience more showers than thunderstorms, according to the fire’s Inciweb page. While occasional lightning was seen, most of the fire’s perimeter only saw light to moderate rainfall that added another tenth of an inch to parts of the fire.

High chances of accumulating rain look to hold on Wednesday as the fire sees more afternoon showers and thunderstorms. The presence of lightning and outflow winds is expected, but concerns still remain focused on localized flash flooding. Monsoonal moisture then begins to weaken on Thursday with high chances of showers and thunderstorms, but lower chances of seeing a wetting rainfall.

Evacuation orders downgraded

Beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m., the Eagle County and Garfield County Sheriff’s Offices, in coordination with Derby Fire managers, will begin downgrading evacuation orders for Red Dirt Creek Road, Sweetwater Road, and Colorado River Road in phases throughout the day. These areas will move into pre-evacuation (ready) status. This allows residents to return home, but to still be prepared for risks while fire suppression continues. 

“We’re extremely grateful for the work that has been accomplished by the fire crews in protecting our communities from potential devastation. Their hard work and effort are making it possible to return to a more normal pace,” said Eagle County Sheriff James Van Beek in a new release.

Evacuation access will reopen in the following order: 

Starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday: 

• All road closures will be lifted on Colorado River Road, including the closures near Coffee Pot Road and at Red Dirt Creek Road. Normal traffic will resume in both directions. 
• Sweetwater Road will remain closed to non-essential traffic, but a phased reentry process will begin.

Sweetwater Road Reentry Schedule: 

• 8 a.m.: Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management permit holders may begin accessing Sweetwater Road to transport gear, crews and animals. Proof of a valid Forest Service or BLM permit will be required at the closure point. 
• Noon: Residents may begin returning livestock and animals to their properties. An access card, proof of residency, or property ownership will be required at the closure point. 
• 4 p.m.: The full closure on Sweetwater Road will be lifted, and the road will reopen to all traffic. 

“While we are relieved to welcome residents back, it is important to remain alert and prepared,” the Sheriff’s Office said in its release. “Fire crews will remain active in the area, and heavy equipment will be positioned to provide structure protection as needed. We ask everyone to exercise extreme caution when traveling. Please yield to first responders at all times and limit non-essential movement to ensure crews have clear access to operate safely. You may find sprinklers, hoses, pumps, or water tanks on your property. Please do not move or drive over these items. If you need assistance with them, contact the Incident Management Team for help.”

The White River National Forest is also reducing its public closure area on Wednesday. For more information visit FS.USDA.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts.

Patton is with the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. That team will remain in place at the Derby Fire through Friday, at which time it will hand off the effort to the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3.

— John LaConte contributed reporting.