Grizzly Creek Wildfire 8/20/2020

Office of the Governor – Governor Jared Polis State Capital Building 200 E Colfax Ave, Room 136 Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-2471 https://www.colorado.gov/governor https://twitter.com/govofco https://www.facebook.com/jaredpolis

Current Press Releases:

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-provides-update-state- response-wildfires-covid-19 Governor Polis Providers Update on State Response to Wildfires, COVID-19 DENVER - Gov. Polis today provided an update on the wildfires burning in Western Colorado as well as the state’s response to COVID-19. The Governor was joined by Stan Hilkey, executive director of the Department of Public Safety; Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources and certified wildland firefighter who has been on the ground fighting the Grizzly Creek Fire; and Dr. Alexis W. Burakoff, MD, MPH, Medical Epidemiologist at the Department of Public Health and Environment. “I’m grateful to the more than 2,000 men and women who are on the ground and in the air fighting these fires, and working to protect our communities and Colorado’s beautiful natural resources,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Colorado is no stranger to wildfires like this and we have proactively prepared for this season. While these fires are making it more difficult for people to enjoy our great outdoors, Coloradans must continue taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others, such as wearing masks and following social distancing requirements. Much like with COVID-19, we all have a role to play in ensuring we are taking steps to prevent fires moving forward.” The Governor announced he will take executive action to reduce the fire risk across the State. The order will be released tomorrow and go into effect Thursday morning. There are currently four large wildfires burning: the Grizzly Creek Fire in , the Pine Gulch Fire near Grand Junction, the Williams Fork Fire in Grand County, and the near Redfeather Lakes. Four days ago, Governor Polis visited Incident Command Centers for the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek Fires to visit with emergency responders and Coloradans working to fight these firesand support the affected communities. As of yesterday, the Grizzly Creek Fire was the number one fire priority in the nation and had grown to more than 25,000 acres. As of Monday evening, the Pine Gulch Fire is over 87,000 acres and 7 percent contained, making it one of the top four largest wildfires in state history. The Cameron Peak Fire is burning on mostly federal land and as of this morning, the fire has burned 14,018 acres. The Williams Fork Fire started on Saturday and is burning 15 miles southwest of Fraser on mostly federal land. As of Monday, the fire had burned 6,627 acres with 0% containment. The wildfires continue to place a strain on the environment and are significantly impacting air quality during a pandemic that affects the respiratory system. The fires are making it more difficult for Coloradans to be outside, and therefore more difficult for people to enjoy Colorado’s incredible outdoor spaces which have been key over the last few months. As this is Colorado’s core fire season, the wildland-urban interface communities are particularly threatened by wildfires; current conditions include a lack of moisture, distressed vegetation, extreme fire weather (Red Flag warnings), overgrown and beetle- killed forests, these conditions need only an ignition source in order for a disaster to occur. Colorado is no stranger to the dangers of wildfires and Colorado’s Department of Public Safety proactively prepared for this year’s season. The Governor reminded Coloradans to use caution while the state is in an extreme drought. Also to try outdoor activities that easily allow for safe social distancing like hiking, biking, or bird watching. Wednesday, August 19, 2020 https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/governor-polis-takes-action-address-covid-19- wildfires Governor Polis Takes Action to Address COVID-19 & Wildfires DENVER - Governor Jared Polis signed an Executive Order ordering temporary fire restrictions across the State to reduce the risk of new fires and protect health and safety. Restrictions include certain outdoor fires, fireworks, and explosives. The Governor also extended an Executive Order authorizing the executive directors of certain State agencies to promulgate and issue emergency rules extending the expiration date of licenses and other documents.

Colorado Division of Emergency Management 9195 East Mineral Avenue, Suite 200 Centennial, CO 80112 (720) 852-6600 http://www.coemergency.com https://twitter.com/COEmergency https://www.facebook.com/COEmergency/ Colorado Daily Status Report: August 20, 2020: Grizzly Creek Fire • Glenwood Canyon east of Glenwood Springs • 29,732 Acres • 4% Containment • Information Source https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942

Grizzly Creek Fire Update 8.20.20 • Grizzly Creek Fire Wildfire News – 1:49 hrs. ago • Grizzly Creek Fire • August 20, 2020 Update • ·Community Facebook live meeting tonight 8/20/20 @6pm https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO • Yesterday’s Activity: Yesterday, a new start, the Red Canyon Fire, erupted in Garfield county triggering evacuations for residents in the south east portion of the county. Initial attack by air and ground resources was mobilized, and the fire was held to approximately 60 acres. All evacuations were lifted for the Red Canyon fire Wednesday evening. Additionally, Buck Point residents effected by the Grizzly Fire were downgraded from evacuation to pre-evacuation status. Yesterday, the weather over the fire had some precipitation with lightning. • On the Grizzly Creek Fire in No Name Creek was still moving at the top of the drainage, and also active along the east edge of Grizzly Creek. Fire line along Transfer Trail to Windy Point neared completion. On the north west side of the fire, additional mechanized equipment was brought in to bolster efforts there. Fire is beginning to reach the tops of the drainages to the north east, where it can be actively engaged. Fire activity from Coffee Pot to I-70 was held in place. In Bair Creek, the fire was active from Ike ridge to Upper Spruce Creek ridge. On the south side, the fire continued to progress through unburned fuels, filling in pockets. Near Lookout Mountain there was minimal fire progression. Lookout Mountain Park is still being evaluated for contingency lines. • Today’s Activity: Today, the chance of precipitation and lightning increases with concerns for potential debris flow in Glenwood Canyon. Firefighters will continue with building direct and indirect fire line around the fire perimeter. The structure protection unit will continue work in No Name and Bair Ranch. Crews will also be finishing up work at the 60 acres Red Canyon fire today. • Daily operations video updates will be posted on the Grizzly Creek Fire facebook page. Maps and other information will also be posted on inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6942/ • Evacuations: Please go to Garfield County website at www.Garfield-county.com and Eagle County at www.ecemergency.org, as well as on official Facebook. • Road Closures: • I-70 continues to be closed between Glenwood Springs (MP 116) and Gypsum (MP 133), with no estimated time for reopening. Forest Service Road 400, Eagle- Thomasville Road, is closed due to excessive traffic and accidents resulting from drivers attempting to use this primarily dirt road as an alternate to the I-70 closure. Cottonwood Pass Road in Garfield and Eagle counties. Coffee Pot Road, and Transfer Trail roads and areas of the Flattops accessed by those roads are also closed, as well as many surrounding White River National Forest and BLM roads. For more information regarding road closures: www.cotrip.org • Area Closures: BLM recreation sites and boat ramps on the southern portion of the Road (RD 301) near Dotsero, Colorado. Specifically, Cottonwood Landing boat ramp, Lyons campground and boat ramp, and Dotsero boat ramp. • Fire Restrictions: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place for all jurisdictions. https://colorado.gov/pacific/dfpc/fire-restriction-information • A temporary flight restriction is in place over the fire area. If you fly, we can’t http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

Garfield County Emergency Operations Center https://garfieldcounty.net/garfield-county-sheriffs-office-current-evacuations-and-road- closures https://www.garfield-county.com Grizzly Creek Fire Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GrizzlyCreekFireCO

GARFIELD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE: CURRENT EVACUATIONS AND ROAD CLOSURES

GRIZZLY CREEK FIRE EVACUATION MAP – map does not contain fire perimeter – view fire maps at InciWeb • No Name • Lookout Mountain • Homestead Estates • High Aspen Ranch • Coulter Creek • Cottonwood Pass • Spring Valley Ranch • Bair Ranch • Coffee Pot Springs Due to fire activity and conditions, these evacuations will remain in effect for at least the next 24 hours. Please refer to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or garfieldcounty.net for information and updates. Do not call dispatch. Current road closures due to wildfire: • COTrip (for road closure information) • Coulter Creek Road (CR 121) • Lookout Mountain Road (CR 120) • No Name Lane (CR 129) • Buck Point Road (CR 78) • Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle and Garfield counties. • Coffee Pot Road (CR 140), Transfer Trail (Forest Service Road 602.1) and the Clinetop Mesa Road near New Castle. • between Glenwood Springs (MM 116) and Gypsum (MM 140) • Red Canyon Road (CR 115) up to the intersection of Cattle Creek (CR 113) at Cottonwood Pass.

PINE GULCH FIRE Current evacuations in effect by the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Evacuation orders are now going into effect for areas on the northwest side of Pine Gulch Fire, as follows: • Evacuation orders are now going into effect for areas on the northwest side of Pine Gulch Fire. • Roan Creek Road (CR 204) above Brush Creek Road (CR 209). • Kimball Creek Road (CR 202) above the 5.5 mile marker. • Carr Creek Road (CR 207) above the 5.5 mile marker. • From the Mesa County line north to the east/west Colorado Highway 256 (Four A Ridge Road) including north/south CO Highway 256. Highways 256 and 205 moving from pre-evacuation to full evacuation. • From Highway 139 (Douglas Pass Road) east to the pre-existing evacuation order for Carr Creek Road (CR 207). • This includes CO Highway 205 Salt Wash and Kimball Creek Road (CR 202) on Kimball Mountain. • CO Highway 258 (King Road) is evacuated. Current road closures due to wildfires: • CO Highway 139 Douglas Pass • COTrip (for road closure information) • Roan Creek Road (204) at North Dry Fork (200) road. BE SAFE DURING WILDFIRES Wildfires are moving swiftly and unpredictably. Sheriff’s Office personnel will visit your home to alert you of evacuations and pre-evacuations. If you are not home, you may miss this important information. Follow the public information channels designated for each incident at all times to be sure you are aware of announcements that may impact you, and to make critical decisions for your safety.

Emergency alerts: Sign up for emergency alerts through the Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority at Garco911. Once registered, you will receive either voice or text notifications about any potential safety hazard that could affect your area. Log in now and update your contact information. Emergency management: Subscribe to email alerts from the Garfield County Emergency Operations Center for emergency information from agencies managing incidents. View it online at www.garfield-county.net]garfield-county.net. Pre-evacuation: This is the time to prepare to evacuate. Pre-evacuation notices should be taken very seriously; this is your time to prepare to leave your home. During pre- evacuation, you should collect important documents and other irreplaceable items and have them ready in a fully fueled vehicle and be prepared to get family and pets out the door in a moment’s notice. If you own livestock, this is the time to move them – there will be no time to move livestock once an evacuation notice is in effect. It’s best to have a family communications plan and escape route set, as well as an emergency kit on- hand. Make plans for a place to stay outside of the threat area. Even if you haven’t received an evacuation notice, trust your instincts – if you feel that you’re in danger, get out. The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management offers a comprehensive list of measures you can take to lessen the chances your home will be affected by wildfire. Evacuation: You need to leave the area now. An evacuation notice means there is imminent danger and you need to evacuate the area as quickly and safely as possible. Follow directions of emergency authorities. Be aware of conditions, especially wind speed and direction, while leaving the area. If you are injured while evacuating, call 911 immediately after you are clear of the evacuation zone. The Colorado Department of Transportation’s COtrip website has information on road closures and any impacts that may affect your evacuation route.

Eagle County Public Safety Information http://www.ecemergency.org https://www.ecemergency.org/2020/08/grizzly-creek-fire-info.html https://www.facebook.com/eaglecountypio

Update: Pre-Evacuation Orders for Buck Point Drive and Coulter Creek Area Buck Point Dr and the Coulter Creek area within Eagle County have moved to pre- evacuation status. Residents can return home but should be prepared to leave again if necessary. Eagle County Evacuation Site Closure for Grizzly Creek Fire The Eagle County Evacuation Site at Battle Mountain High School in Edwards will close today at noon. The services at the evacuation site have not been heavily used at this point. Therefore, to preserve volunteer resources, it will be closed until needed. Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or 1-800-733-2767, if you need evacuation assistance.

Red Cross – Western Colorado 506 Gunnison Ave Grand Junction, CO 81501 (970) 406-0641 https://www.redcross.org/local/colorado.html https://twitter.com/COWYRedCross https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossColorado

Open Evacuation Center: Glenwood Springs Community Center 100 Wulfsohn Road Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 http://co-glenwoodspringsparksandrec.civicplus.com/282/Evacuation- Center?fbclid=IwAR09Cb6QZdRFVg3s81KNaOmVtllNOPdklqfcVIqzoyhxNsVeSLcYmu 40rUA

Colorado Department of Transportation (800) 999-4997 https://www.codot.gov/ https://twitter.com/ColoradoDOT https://cotrip.org/home.htm This website contains information on current road conditions and any travel alerts or restrictions due to fires. Please visit https://cotrip.org/home.htm for more information on any incidents or road closures.

United Way/211 Information and Referrals Lines These information and referral lines may know of additional resources currently providing assistance, such as food pantries, clothing closets, emergency shelters, and agencies offering financial assistance. Please call and provide your zip code and demographic information in order to receive referrals.

Western Colorado 2-1-1 Dial 2-1-1 or (888) 217-1215

NATIONAL RESOURCES:

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) 500 C Street SW Washington, DC 20472 (800) 621-3362 http://www.fema.gov Please visit the website and click on “Disaster Declarations”. If a disaster is declared, please call to apply for assistance by phone, or visit http://www.fema.gov/apply- assistance to apply online.

DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV https://www.disasterassistance.gov Offers information about local resources for disasters, including: FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs), Red Cross, food, shelter, state emergency management agencies, and hospital locators. To determine if individual disaster assistance is available through FEMA, please visit the website and enter the address. To locate your local state emergency management agency for disaster information and updates, please visit http://www.fema.gov/emergency-management-agencies

AMERICAN RED CROSS NATIONAL National Headquarters 2025 East Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 303-4498 or (800) 733-2767 http://www.redcross.org Please call or visit the website to locate your local chapter and open shelters.

AMERICAN RED CROSS SAFE AND WELL LIST https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php Residents affected can notify their friends and family that they are safe by visiting the website and selecting “List Myself as Safe and Well.” Individuals can also search for loved ones by selecting “Search Registrants.”

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE Weather alerts by state are available at http://www.weather.gov/alerts.

THE WEATHER CHANNEL Local forecasts and severe weather alerts, available at http://www.weather.com.

NATIONAL TRAFFIC AND ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo

SAFE TRAVEL USA http://www.safetravelusa.com

Free Help Line: Optum, a leading health and behavioral health services company, is offering a free emotional-support help line.

The toll-free number, 866-342-6892, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as necessary. The service is free of charge and open to anyone. Specially trained Optum mental health specialists help people manage their stress and anxiety so they can continue to address their everyday needs. Callers may also receive referrals to community resources to help them with specific concerns, including financial and legal matters.

Along with the toll-free help line, emotional-support resources and information are available online at https://www.liveandworkwell.com