Type 3 Incident Management Team
Patrick Kieran, Incident Commander
Footage from yesterday’s recon flight over the Derby fire
Author: webdev
NWS: Flash flood warning – Garfield County
National Weather Service
BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Grand Junction CO
128 PM MDT Thu Sep 4 2025
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction has issued a
- Flash Flood Warning for…
South Central Rio Blanco County in northwestern Colorado…
Central Garfield County in west central Colorado… - Until 330 PM MDT.
- At 128 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow moving through the extreme southern portions of the Lee burn scar. The debris flow can consist of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.
HAZARD…Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding.
SOURCE…Radar.
IMPACT…Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
- Some locations that will experience flash flooding include…
Rio Blanco.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
This is a life threatening situation. Heavy rainfall will cause extensive and severe flash flooding of creeks…streams…and ditches in the Burn Scar. Severe debris flows can also be anticipated across roads. Roads and driveways may be washed away in places. If you encounter flood waters…climb to safety.
Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep terrain, especially in and around these areas.
Lee Fire: Operations update – August 29
FDNY Incident Management Team
August 29, 2025, Operational Briefing with Operations Section Mike Izzo
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Lee Fire: Operations update – August 28
FDNY Incident Management Team
August 28, 2025, Operational Briefing with Operations Section Mike Izzo and Resource Advisor Kristin Ross
Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office
BLM Colorado Fire
Bureau of Land Management Fire
Bureau of Land Management – Colorado
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control
U.S. Forest Service – White River National Forest
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office – Colorado
Garco911: Road Closed
Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority
8.28.25, 3:15 pm – All lanes of Highway 82 is open at mile marker 7 westbound, Thunder River Market.
8.28.25, 3:09 pm – Right lane of Highway 82 is open at mile marker 7 westbound, Thunder River Market. Left lane remains closed. Drive with care.
8.28.25, 2:54 pm – Highway 82 is closed at mile marker 7 westbound, Thunder River Market, due to an accident.Â
Derby Fire: Afternoon update
Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3
Heat lingers in heavy fuels in the higher elevation areas of the Derby Fire. The term “heavy fuel” refers to dead trees (also called snags) that are larger than 3 inches in diameter. Large stumps, standing snags and fallen logs are all included in this category.
The larger size of these dead trees makes them slow to ignite, but once smoldering, they’ll hold heat for extended amounts of time. It can take multiple weeks for them to adjust to changes to moisture levels in the atmosphere – earning them the label of “1,000 hour fuels.”
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, firefighters worked to construct handline on the southeast side of the Derby Fire. When crews encounter burning snags as they construct control lines they use a variety of tools to extinguish the flames. S.Rawding/Derby Fire.
Derby Fire: Facts – August 28
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Derby Fire Quick Facts: August 28, 2025
Total acreage: 5,723 acres
4% contained
824 personnel
Firefighters continue to strengthen control line along the southeastern side of the fire. Within the fire footprint, smoke may be visible as sunlight rekindles isolated areas of smoldering timber. The mix of wetting and drying weather, varying winds, and patchwork fuel types lead to inconsistent fuel consumption across the incident. The rock outcrop in the rear of the photo is near the fire origin.
Photo: Looking northwest from Sugarloaf Mountain on the southeast side of the Derby Fire. S.Rawding/Derby Fire.
Lee Fire: Update August 28, 2025
FDNY Incident Management Team
Incident Commander Mike Burke
Location: 11 miles south of Meeker, Colorado
Start Date: 08/02/2025
Cause: Lightning Size: Lee Fire: 137,758 acres
Containment: Lee Fire: 90%
215 Total Personnel; 9 Engines; 2 Hand Crews; 2 Water Tenders; 2 Dozers
CURRENT STATUS
Crews will continue patrols along the fire perimeter today to ensure it stays within its current footprint. Suppression repair operations are moving forward in close coordination with Resource Advisors and local agencies, following the approved Suppression Repair Plan.
Repair work is addressing areas disturbed by suppression activities, with crews working to stabilize firelines, restore ground conditions, and remove equipment no longer needed on the line. These efforts are an important step in reducing impacts and supporting long-term recovery efforts across the fire area.
Progress continues steadily as firefighters remain focused on these repair and patrol operations while working toward complete containment.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Storm chances remain in the forecast, with the highest potential for development on the southern portion of the fire. Storms are expected to track from the southwest to the northeast, with the best opportunity for development between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. If skies clear during the late morning, storms are likely to form and bring rain, lightning, and the potential for localized flooding; if clouds remain in place, conditions may stay limited to lighter, scattered showers.
CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES
For accurate up-to-date information on evacuations and road closures for Rio Blanco County go to the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/RioBlancoCountySheriffsOffice.
For Garfield County updates go to: https://www.garfieldcounty.net/.
USFS White River National Forest and BLM closure rescission information is available at: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident…/cowrd-lee-fire
Derby Fire: Facts – August 27
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3
Derby Fire Quick Facts: August 27, 2025
Total acreage: 5,723 acres
2% contained
864 personnel
While not all Hotshot buggies are painted @U.S. Forest Service green, their shape and size is very recognizable! Hotshot crews are highly trained and specialized handcrews, often given the most physically demanding work on a large wildfire. Their transport vehicles are their “home away from home” on an incident and have just enough space for ten crew members and their gear.
Photo: The Bear Divide Hotshots from Santa Clarita, CA take care of their crew buggy and organize their gear. L.Edlund/Derby Fire.
Derby Fire: Red Dirt Creek, Sweetwater, and Colorado River Roads open tomorrow
Eagle County and Garfield County Sheriff’s Offices
Garfield County zones remain in pre-evac (READY) status
News Release: 8.26.25 – Eagle/Garfield Counties – Beginning Wednesday, August 27, at 8 a.m., the Eagle County and Garfield County Sheriff’s Offices, in coordination with Derby Fire managers, will begin downgrading evacuation orders for Red Dirt Creek Road, Sweetwater Road, and Colorado River Road in phases throughout the day. After close collaboration with partner agencies and careful monitoring of conditions, these areas will move into pre-evacuation (ready) status. This allows residents to return home, but to still be prepared for risks while fire suppression continues.
“We’re extremely grateful for the work that has been accomplished by the fire crews in protecting our communities from potential devastation. Their hard work and effort are making it possible to return to a more normal pace,†said James Van Beek, Eagle County Sheriff.
Evacuation access will reopen in the following order:
Starting at 8 AM Wednesday:
All road closures will be lifted on Colorado River Road, including the closures near Coffee Pot Road and at Red Dirt Creek Road. Normal traffic will resume in both directions.
Sweetwater Road will remain closed to non-essential traffic, but a phased reentry process will begin
Sweetwater Road Reentry Schedule:
8:00 AM: Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management permit holders may begin accessing Sweetwater Road to transport gear, crews, and animals. Proof of a valid Forest Service or BLM permit will be required at the closure point.
12:00 PM: Residents may begin returning livestock and animals to their properties. An access card, proof of residency, or property ownership will be required at the closure point.
4:00 PM: The full closure on Sweetwater Road will be lifted, and the road will reopen to all traffic.
We understand how stressful and disruptive evacuations can be, and we sincerely thank our community residents for their patience and cooperation. While we are relieved to welcome residents back, it is important to remain alert and prepared.
Fire crews will remain active in the area, and heavy equipment will be positioned to provide structure protection as needed. We ask everyone to exercise extreme caution when traveling. Please yield to first responders at all times and limit non-essential movement to ensure crews have clear access to operate safely. You may find sprinklers, hoses, pumps, or water tanks on your property. Please do not move or drive over these items. If you need assistance with them, contact the Incident Management Team for help.
Recent rainfall has provided much-needed assistance in fire suppression efforts. However, with that rain comes new risks. Emergency managers are now closely monitoring for potential flooding and flash flooding in the burn area and surrounding communities.
We encourage all residents to stay aware of changing conditions, follow guidance from local authorities, and use caution when traveling through the area.
The safety of our community remains our top priority, and we are grateful for the teamwork of our partner agencies, emergency crews, and community members.
On Wednesday, the White River National Forest is reducing its public closure area. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts.
***EN ESPAÑOL***
Comunicado de Noticias: 8.26.25 – Las carreteras Red Dirt Creek, Sweetwater y Colorado River volverán a abrirse el miércoles bajo estado de Preevacuación
Condados de Eagle y Garfield: A partir del Miércoles 27 de Agosto a las 8:00 a. m., las oficinas del alguacil de los condados de Eagle y Garfield, en coordinación con los gestores del incendio Derby, comenzarán a reducir las órdenes de evacuación para las carreteras Red Dirt Creek, Sweetwater y Colorado River por fases a lo largo del dÃa. Tras una estrecha colaboración con las agencias asociadas y un cuidadoso seguimiento de las condiciones, estas zonas pasarán al estado de preevacuación (listo). Esto permite a los residentes regresar a sus hogares, pero sin dejar de estar preparados para los riesgos mientras continúa la supresión del incendio.
“Estamos extremadamente agradecidos por el trabajo realizado por los equipos de bomberos para proteger nuestras comunidades de una posible devastación. Su arduo trabajo y esfuerzo están haciendo posible volver a una vida más normalâ€, dijo James Van Beek, alguacil del Condado de Eagle.
El acceso para la evacuación se reabrirá en el siguiente orden:
A partir de las 8am del Miércoles:
Se levantarán todos los cierres de carreteras en Colorado River Road, incluidos los cierres cerca de la carretera Coffee Pot y en la carretera Red Dirt Creek. Se reanudará el tráfico normal en ambas direcciones.
La carretera Sweetwater permanecerá cerrada al tráfico no esencial, pero se comenzará un proceso de reentrada por fases.
Horario de reingreso a la carretera Sweetwater
8:00 AM: Los titulares de permisos del Servicio Forestal y de la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras pueden comenzar a acceder a la carretera Sweetwater para transportar equipos, personal y animales. Se exigirá la presentación de un permiso válido del Servicio Forestal o de la Oficina de Gestión de Tierras en el punto de cierre.
12:00 PM: Los residentes pueden comenzar a devolver el ganado y los animales a sus propiedades. Se requerirá una tarjeta de acceso, prueba de residencia o propiedad en el punto de cierre.
4:00 PM: Se levantará el cierre total de la carretera Sweetwater y se reabrirá en su totalidad.
Entendemos lo estresantes y disruptivas que pueden ser las evacuaciones, y agradecemos sinceramente a los residentes de nuestra comunidad por su paciencia y cooperación. Aunque nos alivia dar la bienvenida a los residentes, es importante permanecer alerta y preparados.
Los equipos de bomberos permanecerán activos en la zona y habrá maquinaria pesada para proteger las estructuras según sea necesario. Rogamos a todos que tengan extremo cuidado al trasladarse. Ceda el paso a los equipos de rescate en todo momento y limite los desplazamientos no esenciales para garantizar que los equipos tengan acceso libre para operar con seguridad. Es posible que encuentre aspersores, mangueras, bombas o tanques de agua en su propiedad. No mueva ni pase por encima de estos elementos. Si necesita ayuda con ellos, póngase en contacto con el equipo de gestión de incidentes.
Las recientes lluvias han proporcionado una ayuda muy necesaria en las labores de supresión del incendio. Sin embargo, con esas lluvias llegan nuevos riesgos. Los gestores de emergencias están ahora vigilando de cerca la posibilidad de inundaciones y riadas en la zona quemada y las comunidades de los alrededores.
Animamos a todos los residentes a que se mantengan al tanto de los cambios en las condiciones, sigan las instrucciones de las autoridades locales y tengan precaución al viajar por la zona.
La seguridad de nuestra comunidad sigue siendo nuestra máxima prioridad, y agradecemos la colaboración de nuestras agencias asociadas, los equipos de emergencia y los miembros de la comunidad.
El miércoles, el Bosque Nacional White River reducirá su área de cierre al público. Para obtener más información, visite www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts.