The Bull Draw Fire northwest of Nucla continued to grow this week, reaching 32,645 acres on Wednesday and forcing additional road closures and a stepped-up firefighting effort.
On Sunday, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests transitioned the Bull Draw Fire to a more robust Type 3 incident command.
On Wednesday, the command team announced that the U.S. Forest Service closures would include Forest Service Road 402 (Divide Road) from the junction of FSR 408 (Dominguez Road) and FSR 402 (Divide Road) south to the junction of FSR 600 (Windy Point Junction) and FSR 402 (Divide Road).
The closure is about 17 miles.
Firefighters on Wednesday engaged in fire suppression activities including burnout operations along NFSR 402 and planned to mop up and secure areas where spot fires ignited, said public information officer Kim Phillips.
Firefighters also used leaf blowers to remove fallen leaf litter in burned areas adjacent to roads to eliminate the potential for reburn, Phillips said in a press release.
On Tuesday, the fire was active on its eastern side along NFSR 402 (Divide Road), including the Big Atkinson drainage area, NFSR 422, NFSR 407, and near the UC Cow Camp. Crews were successful in catching spot fires that appeared outside of the fire perimeter, and used burnout operations along NFSR 402 to decrease the amount of available fuel between the road and the active flame front, creating stronger control lines.
An engine crew conducted night operations along NFSR 402 near NFSR 422 to patrol areas where burn operations were conducted during the day shift and to contain four small fires.
Firefighters, Forest Service officers and sheriff’s deputies contacted hunters and recreationists in the fire area to warn them of potential danger.
The Bull Draw likely will require a “season-ending” event, such as rain or snow, to be fully extinguished, the Fores Service said.
Hunters with tags that may be impacted by fire activity may contact the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Montrose Field Office with questions at 970-252-6000.