Press Release
Mato Vega Fire Information Inquiries: (719)-379-3783 June 22, 2006
Fort Garland, CO — Crews attempted to conduct burnout operations along highway 160 in La Veta Pass last night to prevent the fire from crossing highway 160 and protecting the Wagon Creek Subdivision. High humidity recovery forced the burnout operation to terminate without completion. The protection of the Wagon Creek Subdivision is a top priority. The burnout operation needs to be completed, as a result highway 160 will remain closed to public travel until this section of line is complete.
Residents in the Wagon Creek Subdivision, Paradise Acres subdivision and Old La Veta Pass area remain under mandatory evacuation orders. Residents in the Forbes Subdivision are under voluntary evacuations. There are approximately 280 homes affected by the evacuation orders.
Despite the extreme fire conditions crew did make some progress gaining 30% containment today.
Tomorrow, crews will continue to construct and strengthen dozer and hand line on the south and west sides of the fire and patrol along highway along 160 and work spot fires on the north side of the fire.
Fire Facts:
Size: 11,805 acres
Personnel Assigned: 344
Aircraft: 2 Helicopters assigned and fixed wing air tankers are available
Structures Threatened: 280
Land Ownership: Private
Type 1 Crews: 3
Type 2 Crews: 5
Engines: 31
Water Tenders: 11
Dozers: 8
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I was working in Buena Vista, Colorado yesterday and drove to Tucumcari, NM in the afternoon. There was not much of the trip that a fire was not visible in the almost 300 miles. Recent storms have sparked lightening which has burned tens of thousands of acres of range land and dry wheat fields in the areas east of the mountains where the forests are burning. What I'm saying is that there are a lot of fires sparked by lightening that are not on the maps as they have not come under the control of the Fire Service.
Storms with heavy rain helped firefighters in Eastern New Mexico last night. Recent lightening strikes in Eastern New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas have burned hundreds of thousands of acres of range and crop land that doesnt recieve any news coverage.