Update Wednesday, June 27, 2012 9:00 pm
Burnout Operations by Firefighters Proven Successful
MANCOS, Colo. - Burnout operations by firefighters were successful in the effort to contain the 9,168 acre Weber Fire with containment holding at 30 percent.
Difficult and treacherous terrain on both the northern and southern ends of the fire have not allowed firefighters to construct hand lines directly on the fire perimeter. Fire managers often use the tactical approach of putting in-direct fire line then burning out the unburned fuels between the fire perimeter and the constructed fire line. This technique is used when an area within the fire perimeter is not safe for firefighters to work in.
Firefighters continued the construction and improvement of established containment lines. Structure protection around residences and communication towers is still in place. Firefighting efforts continue to be aided by air resources, including two Type 1 and two Type 3 helicopters. Mop-up operations continue along the western flank of the fire. Firefighters are using this technique to extinguish hotspots along the containment lines.
Residents and visitors have been experiencing ash in the air. This is associated with the thunderstorm activity causing micro-bursts of wind in and around the fire interior.
Highway 160 and County Road 41 are open to all traffic.
A change was made to the community meeting schedule. The next community meeting is scheduled for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Mancos High School Performing Arts Auditorium.
Information about the Weber fire and other fires can be found at www.inciweb.org. Follow us on Twitter @weberfireinfo.
