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Sekhar Padmanabhan, Staff Reporter
Jul 29 at 10:23 AM EDT

South Rim Fire Information:

Key message: Cooler weather with persistent cloud cover over the fire area on Monday helped reduce fire activity in the remaining pockets of heat within the fire perimeter. As the threat of fire spread diminishes each day, firefighters are beginning the process of backhaul. Suppression repair work nears completion under the guidance of Resource Advisors. The BAER team conducted field assessments yesterday and will start analyzing the data they collected to provide recommendations to land management agencies.

Current situation: For the past several days, fire operations have focused on suppression repair activities, to restore areas disturbed by firefighting activities as much as practicable. The Resource Advisors have been overseeing these efforts, ensuring that they meet established standards. Fire managers estimate that this stage of the fire response will be complete by Wednesday.

Many crews are now working on backhauling equipment, including portable water tanks, hoses, fittings, sprinklers, and pumps. All of the fire suppression equipment used during the firefight needs to be packed up and hauled out of the fire area to a staging area where it can be cleaned, properly packaged, and shipped back to the regional fire cache to be made available for other fires in the region.

https://share.watchduty.org/i/55281?ts=1753799001000

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Justin Roberts, Reporter
Jul 28 at 10:28 AM EDT

Daily Update from South Rim Fire on Facebook:

Key message: The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is on the ground to evaluate potential post-fire threats of flooding, debris flows, hazardous materials, cultural and historic sites, and hazard trees, as well as impacts to vegetation, wildlife, and recreation. BAER team specialists are hydrologists, soil scientists, archeologists, wildlife biologists, botanists, and recreation professionals who specialize in identifying threats to resources after fires, and the potential consequences of not addressing those threats. National Parks Service staff are conducting damage assessments to understand the impact of the fire to National Park campgrounds, facilities, and other infrastructure.

Current Situation: Drones and helicopters continue to monitor and cool the pocket of unburned fuels on the southeast portion of the fire where heat persists but the terrain poses too much of a risk to send firefighters in on foot. Crews continue mop-up around uncontained fire edge on the northwest side of the fire and suppression repair on contingency lines that are no longer needed.

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Susan Perney, Reporter
Jul 27 at 1:42 PM EDT

…Current Situation: The South Rim Fire is currently 41% contained. Any remaining heat is interior to the fire perimeter. Because there is no safe way to physically check these vertical canyon walls of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, some sections may not be considered contained even though there is little fuel left to burn. Pilots continue to monitor for heat using an Unmanned Aerial System, equipped with infrared, which allows for thermal imaging and temperature measurement.

Suppression repair efforts for the South Rim Fire are well underway. This process aims to restore areas impacted by firefighting operations to their original, pre-fire condition. Some of these actions include pulling soil back over contingency lines, scattering vegetation across those repaired lines, and chipping vegetation that was removed for contingency lines. The Type 3 Incident Management Team is coordinating closely with private landowners, the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and other partners to ensure all repair work meets established standards.

https://share.watchduty.org/i/55281?ts=1753638158000

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Adam Johnson, Reporter
Jul 26 at 11:12 AM EDT

7-26-25 South Rim Fire Operations Update with Operations Chiefs Tyler Nathe and Mike Megal:

The South Rim Fire is currently 4,232 acres and is 32% contained.

The Type 3 incident management team will shadow the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 today until they take command at 6:00 p.m. tonight.

As described in this video, in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the steep, rocky terrain makes it extremely difficult and unsafe to send firefighters into some areas of the fire perimeter. Because there is no safe way to physically check these vertical canyon walls, some sections may not be considered contained even though there is little fuel left to burn. As a result, the containment percentage can appear lower than people might expect—even when the fire poses little risk of spreading further.

https://share.watchduty.org/i/55281?ts=1753542740000

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16iNGpeJY8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Katlyn C, Staff Reporter
Jul 19 at 9:33 AM EDT

Yesterday: The fire was slowly backing and creeping on the northwest and south sides of the fire. Mop-up continued around the perimeter of the fire as crews continued strengthening constructed firelines on the southern portion of the fire. Helicopters dropped water on areas of heat on the north and south sides of the fire. Crews patrolled the west side of the fire searching for any remaining sources of heat

Current Situation: Firefighters will continue to mop up areas of heat within the fire perimeter on the west and southwest portions of the fire area. Using a combination of handtools and heavy equipment, crews will strengthen firelines on the northwest, west, and southwest portions of the fire area by removing vegetation to eliminate potential sources of fuel and decrease the chance of fire spread. Night and day shift crews will continue to patrol areas where structure protection work has been completed. Aerial resources will continue to assist ground resources in removing heat from the fire perimeter when needed.

When weather and fuel conditions allow, fire managers may begin utilizing strategic firing operations on the northwest side of the fire area. This would be done to remove the threat of an uncontrolled fire moving from the ridgeline or within the canyon to the private lands and structures along Bostwick Rd and K73 Trail.

https://share.watchduty.org/i/55281?ts=1752931986000

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Don Zirbel, Staff Reporter
Jul 18 at 1:40 PM EDT

July 18 video update from Utah Fire Info https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1PaZViCUHn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Katlyn C, Staff Reporter
Jul 18 at 11:25 AM EDT

West End Montrose County - Deer Creek Fire pre-evacuations have been issued effective July 18, 2025 at 8:30am for the following:

SET: ZONES 13, 14, AND 15 - Set means be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
There is significant danger in the area.

READY: ALL OTHER ZONES (18,19, 20) - Ready means Prepare to Evacuate
Be aware of danger in the area and stay informed.

Plan for emergency shelter. Call the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcross.org

Read the full update provided by the Montrose County Sheriff's Office - HERE https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B65XSXseG/?