Multiple Wildfires Are Burning Near Steamboat Resort, Colorado

Two new wildfires have broken out in Routt County, Colorado. Located in the northwestern corner of the state, Routt County encompasses the towns of Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek, Yampa, Clark, and Hayden, as well as Rabbit Ears Pass on Highway 40.

Near Rabbit Ears Pass, the Fishhook Fire broke out on Sunday, July 12. As of Monday, July 13, the fire is burning at just over 94 acres. Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue posted on their Facebook page on Sunday afternoon that the US Forest Service was responding to the fire and overseeing the incident, as it was burning on Routt National Forest land. No official evacuations have been issued for the Fishhook Fire yet.

On Sunday afternoon, another fire was reported in the Stagecoach Reservoir area, just south of Steamboat Springs. Dubbed the Green Ridge Fire, the burn had spread to 94.3 acres as of Sunday evening. Evacuation orders were issued for districts OC-522, OC-523, and OC-536. As of 6:30, Sunday evening, orders were pulled back to pre-evac for OC-522 and OC-523.

The Green Ridge fire is currently threatening 480 structures within three miles and has 20 homes under mandatory evacuation. Governor Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency as of Sunday.

Steamboat Resort ceased operations early on Sunday afternoon, shutting the mountain and closing the bike park. As of Monday morning, the ski area was opening, but with no access to the upper mountain above Thunderhead. The Fishhook Fire is burning approximately 3 miles from the resort boundary.

Steamboat Resort issued a statement to Steamboat Radio saying they were operating 41 snowmaking guns to saturate the ground around Rendezvous Lodge as a preventative measure.

Alongside the Fishhook Fire and Green Ridge Fire, the Aspen Acres, Gold Mountain, Ferris, and Willow fires continue to burn more than 205,000 acres across the state. An unusually dry winter in Colorado has led to volatile conditions and 1,000-hour fuels, which can take 1,000 hours to saturate or dry out.

The dry grasses, shrubs, thick trees, and downed logs that make up these fuels are usually saturated by melted snowpack. Wildland firefighters across the state have warned that even rain won’t do much to help these hot-burning fires.

Related: Eagle Point Owner Launches Nonprofit After Devastating Wildfire