Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
Many types of equipment assist with wildland fire suppression, but it’s not all engines and brush trucks! Heavy equipment operator, Dean Ehmann, talks about his time on the #DerbyFire. #FireYear2025.
Size: 5,475 Total Personnel: 530 Containment: 41% Cause: Lightning Resources: 5 Aircraft | 8 Hand Crews | 20 Engines | 9 Heavy Equipment
Current Situation:
Containment rose to 41% on the Derby Fire. Crews completed handline construction in steep and rugged terrain, on the southwest corner of the fire and are beginning to move north. Support from helicopter water drops in the area helped to mitigate the lingering heat along the southern fire edge. Firefighters are also working to repair impacts of fire suppression actions on the natural environment.
Four separate groups of firefighters and support personnel have been flown into different parts of the fire and will continue their work on Wednesday. A hotshot crew on the north flank of the fire started line construction along the fire’s edge, using Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST), in the West Fork Sheep Creek drainage of the Flat Tops Wilderness where heat has been detected. These tactics include cold trailing, using bare hands to feel for residual heat along the fire’s edge to reduce the amount of line construction. They will be assisted by aerial assets and anticipate working at this location for the next few days.
A wildland fire Suppression Module (SMOD) is taking action to extinguish hotspots outside of the western fire perimeter. A SMOD is a smaller firefighting crew that is used for Initial Attack and other specific fire suppression needs. More than 70 firefighters are working on the eastern fire edge. Hand crews are traveling by helicopter to reduce travel time, moving further north, continuing handline construction.
On the southeastern edge of the fire, an unmanned aircraft system identified several heat pockets. Crews plan to focus suppression efforts on those areas Wednesday.
Weather & Fire Behavior:
Dry weather continues across the area. Temperatures will be in the lower 80’s with humidity once again dropping into the mid-teens. However, there will be cloud cover and a slight chance of rain keeping the potential for fire spread minimal.
The Colorado River, Sweetwater, and Red Dirt Creek roads have all been reopened, and the Garfield County and Eagle County Sheriff’s Offices have changed the evacuation status for Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek and Red Dirt Creek areas to pre-evacuation (READY) status: https://arcg.is/S0u4G and www.ecemergency.org.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Derby Fire. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov.
Derby Fire Information
Phone: 970-355-3283 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) Email: 2025.Derby@firenet.gov
Actualización Diaria para el Incendio Derby – el 3 de Septiembre de 2025
Equipo 3 del Manejo de Incidentes Complejos del Ãrea de las Montañas Rocosas Comandantes del Incidente: Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Ben Sanders
El tiempo seco continúa en la zona. Las temperaturas rondarán los 80°F, con una humedad que volverá a descender a alrededor de 15%. Sin embargo, habrá nubosidad y una ligera probabilidad de lluvia, lo que minimiza la posibilidad de propagación del incendio.
Evacuaciones y cierres:
Las restricciones y cierres por incendios se permanecen vigentes en los terrenos bajo la administración de la Oficina de Administración de Tierras del Valle del RÃo Colorado: https://www.blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions. Las restricciones y cierres por incendios se permanecen vigentes en Bosque Nacional White River. Consulte las alertas forestales crÃticas y de restricciones por incendios en https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts/.
Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
#DerbyFire Operations Update, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2025, Ryan Sharpe Operations Section Chief, discusses firefighting tactics on the #DerbyFire.
Containment on the Derby Fire rose to 41%. The main priority today will be focusing efforts in the northwest area outside of the fire perimeter. Operations Section Chief Ryan Sharpe shares the rest of the operations plan.
Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
Sometimes the ground is just too steep or rugged for crews to get in safely or quickly. That’s when helicopters become essential.
From shuttling firefighters into remote areas, to hauling tools and gear, to dropping water on hot spots, and even extracting crews when needed, helicopters give firefighters the access and support they need to get the job done.
In this video, the Wyoming Hotshots are flown into the Hack Lake area to reach the fire from above and work their way around the perimeter. Using aircraft in this way helps improve both safety and efficiency for firefighters on the ground.
Fire Information: 970-355-3283 Size: 5,475acres Total Personnel: 531 Containment: 23% Cause: Lightning Resources: 5 Aircraft | 7 Hand Crews | 26 Engines | 9 Heavy Equipment
Current Situation:
Containment increased to 23% on the Derby Fire, with new gains on the north and south flanks. The fire has burned into a steep rock face on its northern edge which creates a natural barrier to fire spread. Days of dedicated mop-up and cold trailing operations have secured handline and dozer line on the southern edge, contributing to the rise in containment.
Fire intensity increased Monday on the southwestern side of the fire in the area of the county line and West Fork Sheep Creek. Helicopter water drops assisted a fire suppression module on the ground working to extinguish these hot spots. On Tuesday, they will continue their work in the area. Air resources will have a busy day delivering firefighters, medical, and support personnel to all sides of the fire. A hotshot crew will be moved to the north flank of the fire to work direct on the fire’s edge in the West Fork Sheep Creek drainage in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Firefighters utilize specific tactics when fighting fire in wilderness areas to minimize near and long-term impacts to the natural environment while most effectively engaging the fire. Additional firefighting resources have arrived on the incident and will be flown to the northeastern corner where they will work south extinguishing hotspots on the fire’s edge. Hand crews spiked near the West Fork Red Dirt Creek will continue to advance handline construction toward crews working north from Poison Creek. Specialized medical personnel will be staged nearby to assist crews in the event of an emergency.
Weather & Fire Behavior:
Fire activity will continue to increase Tuesday as temperatures will be in the low 70’s. Humidity levels are expected to drop into the teens, with a very low chance of precipitation. Lower humidity levels mean that there’s less moisture in the air and light fuels like grasses, leaves and brush dry out. Light fuels are more sensitive to changes in moisture and are more conducive to burning. Fire behavior analysts don’t expect significant increase in fire behavior; however, firefighters will watch for an increase in creeping, smoldering and isolated tree torching.
Evacuations and Closures: Fire restrictions and closures remain in place for Bureau of Land Management – Colorado River Valley Field Office areas, https://www.blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions. Restrictions and closures remain in the White River National Forest. See Critical and Fire Restriction Forest Alerts at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts/.
The Colorado River, Sweetwater, and Red Dirt Creek roads have all been reopened, and the Garfield County and Eagle County Sheriff’s Offices have changed the evacuation status for Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek and Red Dirt Creek areas to pre-evacuation (READY) status: https://arcg.is/S0u4G and www.ecemergency.org.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Derby Fire. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov.
Derby Fire Information
Phone: 970-355-3283 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) Email: 2025.Derby@firenet.gov
Actualización Diaria para el Incendio Derby – el 2 de septiembre de 2025
Equipo 3 del Manejo de Incidentes Complejos del Ãrea de las Montañas Rocosas
Comandantes del Incidente: Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Ben Sanders
Información del incendio: 970-355-3283 Acres: 5,475 Personal: 531 Contención: 23% Causa: Rayos Recursos: 5 aeronaves | 7 cuadrillas | 26 camiones de bomberos | 9 equipo pesados
Situación Actual:
La contención del incendio Derby aumentó al 23%, con nueva seguridad en los flancos norte y sur. El incendio ha quemado una pared rocosa escarpada en su borde norte, lo que crea una barrera natural para su propagación. DÃas de operaciones dedicadas de extinción y rastreo en frÃo han asegurado la lÃnea de fuego manual y la lÃnea de excavadoras en el borde sur, lo que ha contribuido a aumentar la contención.
Las restricciones y cierres por incendios se permanecen vigentes en los terrenos bajo la administración de la Oficina de Administración de Tierras del Valle del RÃo Colorado: https://www.blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions. Las restricciones y cierres por incendios se permanecen vigentes en Bosque Nacional White River. Consulte las alertas forestales crÃticas y de restricciones por incendios en https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts/.
Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3
#DerbyFire Operations Update, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, Ryan Sharpe Operations Sections Chief, discusses firefighting tactics on the #DerbyFire.
Containment rose to 23% on the Derby Fire with new gains on the north and south flanks. Today will be a busy day for air operations and crews. 80 personnel will be flying to various assignments. Operations Sections Chief Ryan Sharpe explains the duties of the day.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 thanks Garfield and Eagle Counties while welcoming in the new Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team 3.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Unaweep Wildfire Module 1 set up a time lapse camera on a prominent lookout west of Sugarloaf Mountain near where they were working on the southeast side of the fire. The view is looking north over the Horse Creek drainage capturing the #DerbyFire as it spread east from the morning of August 21 through the morning of August 24, 2025. Images were captured every 5 minutes. WFM1 Unaweep is based in Grand Junction, CO. #FireYear2025
Video: Clouds move past a dirt road as firefighters and engines periodically move past. Smoke rises from the right-hand side of the video, growing more intense as the Derby Fire spreads east. In the evening hours, the smoke glows yellow and red.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3, Incident Commander Mike Behrens
Location: 13 miles north of Dotsero, CO Start Date: 8/16/2025; Cause: Lightning Size: Est. 5,736 acres Completion/Containment: 5% Total personnel 692
Key Message:
Firefighters continue suppression efforts. Smoldering and lone tree torching persist at higher elevations. Transfer of Command from Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 to Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3 will occur at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Current Status:
Firefighters continue scouting opportunities to construct indirect dozer line on the west side of the fire as well as possibilities to engage direct. On the southern and southeastern flanks, crews are patrolling, mopping up and cold trailing. Cold trailing involves gently feeling the ground and partially burned vegetation for residual heat and extinguishing any remaining hotspots. On the eastern perimeter, firefighters are progressing with indirect handline construction as weather conditions permit. Structure protection crews are working to improve and maintain fire defenses around more than 500 structures along Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek, and Red Dirt Creek Road.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
Remnants of Hurricane Juliette will bring showers and thunderstorms on Friday, with potential for localized flash flooding and light debris flows. Over the past five days, the fire area received 0.75 inches of rain – more than 100 million gallons of water. Fire activity will be minimal until conditions dry out and several days of low relative humidity make fuels more flammable. However, low moisture levels in dead and downed trees will continue to produce isolated pockets of smoldering in higher elevation conifer stands. Isolated tree torching in subalpine firs is possible. Smoke may increase when sunlight re-energizes these pockets of heat. Gradually warmer and drier weather is expected beginning Sunday.
The Colorado River, Sweetwater, and Red Dirt Creek Roads have all been reopened, and the Garfield County and Eagle County Sheriff’s Offices have changed the evacuation status for Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek and Red Dirt Creek areas to pre-evacuation (READY) status: https://arcg.is/S0u4G and www.ecemergency.org.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Derby Fire. All unauthorized aircraft (including drones) are prohibited from flying near the fire, as they can interfere with authorized air support operations. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov.
All monitors showing GOOD air quality this morning and forecasted to remain GOOD all day. Very little smoke seen on the fire yesterday and the IR flight last night showed very little heat.
Equipo 3 de Gestión de Incidentes Complejos de las Montañas Rocosas del Norte, Comandante de Incidente Mike Behrens Ubicación: 13 millas al oeste de Dotsero, CO Fecha de inicio: 08/16/2025;   Causa:  Rayos   Tamaño: Est. 5,736 acres Finalización/Contención: 5%   Personal total: 692Â
Mensaje clave:
Los bomberos continúan las labores de extinción. Persisten las llamas latentes y la quema de árboles solitarios en las zonas más altas. El traspaso del mando del Equipo 3 de Gestión de Incidentes Complejos de las Montañas Rocosas del Norte al Equipo 3 de Gestión de Incidentes Complejos de las Montañas Rocosas tendrá lugar a las 6:00 a. m. del sábado, el 30 de agosto de 2025.
Estado actual:
Los bomberos continúan explorando oportunidades para construir una lÃnea indirecta con excavadoras en el lado oeste del incendio, asà como para intervenir directamente. En los flancos sur y sureste, las cuadrillas están patrullando, y continuando con la liquidación y rastreo en frÃo. Este sistema consiste en tocando con cuidado el suelo y la vegetación parcialmente quemada para detectar calor residual y extinguir cualquier foco de incendio restante. En el perÃmetro este, los bomberos avanzan con la construcción de una lÃnea manual indirecta según lo permitan las condiciones climáticas. Las cuadrillas de protección de estructuras trabajan para mejorar y mantener las defensas contra incendios en torno a más de 500 estructuras a lo largo de Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek y Red Dirt Creek Road.
