Deer creek fire containment increases to 11%, evacuation orders lifted in some areas

The fire has burned 15,819 acres, and crews say they have made good progress on the north and east sides of the Deer Creek Fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Officials say residents have begun returning home on Thursday, and many more are expected to return today as efforts begin in areas deemed safe. Evacuation orders are in place for Zones 1-4.

Zone 5 is under a ‘SET’ status, where residents have to prepare in case of an evacuation. Residents of Mountain Shadows and Hang Dog in Zone 6 will be able to return home starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Only residents of Peace Valley will continue to be under evacuation orders.

A checkpoint at Lower Two Mile and Highway 46 will remain in place to prevent non-residents from entering the area, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s office.

There are currently no evacuations for Montrose County in Colorado, where the fire has move it to since Monday.

Fighting the fire

About 484 personnel are fighting the fire along with six helicopters, 29 engines and 11 Crews and five dozers. Most of the crews are staged out of four spike camps, reducing travel time to more remote areas of the fire and facilitating easier access to meals and rest. So far, the fire has damaged 11 structures.

Resources continue to be positioned on the west end of Paradox, where structure protection assessments are being made, officials noted in their press release.

Helicopters have been in use along the active north and east sides of the fire. Drones are being used to patrol the fire in areas where the terrain is inaccessible.

Travel alerts

Officials are warning anyone traveling along the Highway 46/90 corridor near the Utah-Colorado border should be aware of heavy fire traffic and the possibility of low visibility conditions.

County roads within the San Juan County evacuation area are closed to public traffic. Parts of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are also closed to the public.

People have been asked to avoid the area of the old airport landing strip in Spanish Valley so that the helicopters and crews can safely operate.

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Temporary Emergency Closure that affects roads on BLM-administered public lands in the Paradox area in Montrose County, Colorado.