Wildfires

[Smartin108]

Any first hand reports on the wildfires in the West? Specifically Colorado. We're supposed to head that way in 2 weeks and I'm getting nervous.

[Laredo Tugger]

For first hand reports contact the jurisdiction in charge of fire operations. Most likely a county or national forest office (see link below). They should direct you to the incident PIO. These folk have the latest available information and should be able to answer any questions you may have. Large wildfires are dynamic environments that have a lot of moving parts both on the ground and in the air. I wouldn't be looking for a "vacation" anywhere near the incident or it's base location. And air quality in surrounding areas can be affected. The officials in charge know what margins they need for public safety.
This link: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf is a daily report that has updated information on wildfires all over the country.
Hope it helps.
RMc

[Bolo4u]

For federal fires, follow the link below. It should list all the fires being handled by the feds in different states, and is updated daily, sometimes more than once a day. The interface is different than the last, so zoom into the area you want, click the icon for the fire, and there should be a small info box with a brief summary, and a go to incident link. Click that link for a more detailed page of the fire, including lots of info about the fire, progress, evacs, etc., and a map of the burn area. Not all the fires will have the same level of info, depending how new the fire is, how active, winding down....
Link: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov

For California incidents, follow the link below. The same thing applies as far as fire info goes. It's usually updated in the morning ~7 am and then again in the evening. Some of the smaller fires are just once a day.

http://m.fire.ca.gov/IncidentsCurrent.aspx

My guess, is other states likely have a similar incident info website. I did see the inciweb site had additional links in the specific incident page for assisting agencies.

Hope this helps.

[madmaxmutt]

I agree with the sources sited. but for campground info; you should contact your campground(s) individually. We have camped at several campgrounds near fires. It depends on distance and which way the wind is blowing, as to how good your stay will be.

Last week we camped at Ridgeway State Park. The first day the wind was from the south (416 fire) and it was a bit hazy. The rest of the week it was fine blowing mostly to the east.

The Spring fire is near our next trip destination. We will wait and see how the firefighters do before heading out to that one.

Where are you headed exactly? "In the west" and "Colorado" is a pretty big target to address.

[madmaxmutt]

I forgot to add road status link from CDOT.

http://www.cotrip.org/travelAlerts.htm#?roadId=

160 is supposed to open again this afternoon.

[sourdough]

You might be a little more specific about your destination. "Colorado" is a big place.

I would suggest calling the Forest Service office that handles the area you plan to visit. I have done that on multiple occasions in CO and they have been very helpful and knowledgeable.....although sometimes it may take a couple of calls to land with the right person.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be close to one of the fires. They move quickly and are very unpredictable unless pretty much contained. Also, smoke and ash can literally fill the air miles from the fire making things pretty miserable. We were a few miles away from one in CO a few years back and the air was full of smoke every day and the vehicles, and our stuff, kept getting covered up in ash. Same in FL when they do their controlled burns almost on top of you.

[Bisjoe]

We just drove through the California fire near the Oregon border yesterday. It was surreal, with the Center divide and both side of the road still smoldering, and heavy smoke from the areas still not controlled. There were burned out buildings and vehicles, and firefighters close to us as we passed by. One of the most beautiful drives turned to ashes. We were just in the truck, checking out campsites from here to Tahoe for future reference. It was sad to see a few trailers burned. Have alternate routes planned, it seems like anywhere out west could go up in flames this summer.

[mfifield01]

I'm headed up to Colorado in a couple of weeks. I just changed some of my plans. I was planning on camping near the Spring Creek Fire. It does look like it's mostly contained, but I'm going to move past that area. Currently going to Cheyenne Mountain State Park and then Moraine Park.

[Smartin108]

Thanks for all the info. We have changed our plans and will stay in Wyoming and Montana.

[BamaRam]

I'm in Teller County CO now. I haven't seen nor smelled a fire. However, each County and individual fire district has it's own set of restrictions to prevent wildfires. For example, I cannot use a gas grill at the campground I'm in now. But I could drive to town and use my grill on the tailgate of my truck. Hoping they lift the bans soon.