Grizzly Creek Fire 2020 (Glenwood Canyon)

[J Kimmel]

Smoke has been really bad here the last few days...it usually settles in around 2-3am and clears around lunch but the last few days it’s been lingering longer.
Storm King is right out my driveway, this if from Friday morning and it’s no better today.

 

[On the RX]

We have a light dusting of ash on everything here in superior and I could see it floating in the air this am. It was strange... I found myself craving smoked meat for breakfast!

 

[DaveInDenver]

We've been getting ash in town settling the past two mornings but particularly today (Sunday 8/16/2020) since the winds seem to have shifted from west to northeast. The Pine Gulch anyway seems to be moving south and bringing the smoke with it. My eyes are burning today.

Looking north from Third Flats towards Grand Junction Saturday.

From Mack Ridge near Kokopelli looking northeast towards Fruita Sunday. Can't see the Bookcliffs for the smoke.

 

[SnydersWeb]

I used to live in Glenwood and commute back and forth to Gypsum.. I've driven past that spot on i70 1000's of times. Pretty surreal for me to see the hillside in flames like that!

I wonder how the rocks are going to be after all this. It was right about there where a rock the size of a softball came off the rock face and hit my old Mazda truck in the corner of the roof and the A-pillar on the passenger side (took mild evasive maneuvers or it would've hit where my rear view mirror was!). There will likely be a bit more of that in the years to come. Eyes up.

 

[J Kimmel]

I used to live in Glenwood and commute back and forth to Gypsum.. I've driven past that spot on i70 1000's of times. Pretty surreal for me to see the hillside in flames like that!

I wonder how the rocks are going to be after all this. It was right about there where a rock the size of a softball came off the rock face and hit my old Mazda truck in the corner of the roof and the A-pillar on the passenger side (took mild evasive maneuvers or it would've hit where my rear view mirror was!). There will likely be a bit more of that in the years to come. Eyes up.

My wife drives to Gypsum everyday this is what worries me the most

 

[SnydersWeb]

My wife drives to Gypsum everyday this is what worries me the most

Yeah, anyone who drives that canyon knows that beyond the incredible beauty of the place lies danger of falling rock. It happens, has happened, and will happen. There isn't anything you can do to anticipate it and protect against it outside of keep your eyes open.

Good luck to your wife. Only other way around is Cottenwood pass or Transfer trail. Both of which, especially the latter, are likely closed.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Pine Gulch here in GJ grew a bit overnight. Looks like it grew about 34,000 acres up to nearly 127,000 acres now, making it the second biggest in Colorado history behind Hayman at 137,760 acres. Since Pine Gulch is 7% contained hard to imagine it not growing even more massive. Sounds like they are fighting it from Douglas Pass now which would mean it pushed hard west towards Utah. There's a few ranches up there but the main concern is if CO139 is blocked getting to I-80 and US40 will become extremely difficult.

https://www.gjsentinel.com/breaking...cle_5842683e-e236-11ea-b5bb-bbc650ae435d.html

 

[DaveInDenver]

Sounds like they are focused on holding the line at No Name on the Grizzly Creek fire otherwise Glenwood becomes at very serious risk.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Fire did indeed move west. State highway 139 is now closed. So getting to US40 and I-80 is via Price, UT, now.

 

[KC Masterpiece]

Not Grizzly. But the Williams Fork fire has been throwing some crazy smoke plumes the last few days.

 

[AlpineAccess]

Watching the update on Grizzly, it sounds like they are actually feeling good about No-Name creek holding, they set that line several days ago and its solid but they are still working on the top portion of it. All of the drainages on the north side of I70 are running up to a fire line that heavy equipment made on the "plateau" there and they sounds confident its going to hold.

Their initiative today is hitting the line between I-70 and Lookout Mountain with fire retardant from helicopters, dumping it in heavy to knock it down and create access for crews if they can. Otherwise they are going to keep focusing on it with aircraft.

There is also a concern flash floods could impact crews and equipment if the storms in the area dump a lot of water.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Pine Gulch near GJ is just under 139,000 acres, making it now the largest fire in state history.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Photo taken August 20, 2020, from the Colorado National Monument looking northwest at the Pine Gulch Fire and the town of Grand Junction.