Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 

Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Ben Sanders Incident Commanders 

Derby Fire evacuation closure map
Derby Fire public information map

Derby Fire smoke outlook – English
Derby Fire smoke outlook – Spanish

Fire Information: 970-355-3283
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Size: 5,738 acres
Total Personnel: 667
Containment: 6%
Cause: Lightning
Resources: 4 Aircraft | 16 Hand Crews | 36 Engines | 17 Heavy Equipment

Current Situation: Containment increased slightly on the south, west of East Fork Sheep Road. This is where interior heat has decreased, and wind and weather conditions are unlikely to push the fire over the control line. Firefighters continue to patrol, mop up, and extinguish hotspots along the southern control line. Hotshot crews continue to construct fireline along the fire edge on the western side as they progress to the north.  Handline construction is progressing on the east side of the fire, extending northward from an existing dozer line. Air resources are evaluating proposed medical evacuation helispots as the firefighters move into more rugged, remote terrain. An Unmanned Aircraft System is also available to help assess fuels, fire behavior and areas of heat using an infrared camera. Structure protection crews are actively monitoring and maintaining defenses around more than 500 structures along Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek, and Red Dirt Creek Road.  

Weather & Fire Behavior: Recent rainfall has kept relative humidity levels high, helping to minimize fire behavior. Saturday will see slowly clearing skies and sunshine with a slight possibility of rain at higher elevation. A gradual warming and drying trend are expected to begin on Sunday. Relative humidities will start to drop a little each day, however, a few days of drying will be needed before any significant increase in fire activity is likely. Interior heat pockets may continue to produce smoke where dead and downed trees are still smoldering. Fire may slowly creep along the ground in areas where mixed conifer, subalpine fir and lodgepole pine trees transition into aspen stands. 

For air-quality and smoke outlook information:https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/4d276598 

Evacuations and Closures: Fire restrictions and closures remain in place for lands within the Bureau of Land Management – Colorado River Valley Field Office areas and White River National Forest. Find out more at their websites: https://www.blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions. 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. 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. 

Derby Fire Information
Public Phone Line: (970) 355-3283
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Actualización Diaria para el Incendio Derby –el 30 de agosto de 2025 
Equipo 3 del Manejo de Incidentes Complejos del Área de las Montañas Rocosas  
Comandantes del Incidente: Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Ben Sanders  
Información del incendio: 970-355-3283 

Acres: 5,738
Personal: 667
Contención: 6% 
Causa: Rayos 
Recursos: 4 aeronaves | 16 cuadrillas | 36 camiones de bomberos | 17 equipo pesados 

Situación Actual: La contención aumentó ligeramente al sur, al oeste de East Fork Sheep Road. Aquí es donde el calor interior ha disminuido, y es improbable que las condiciones de viento y clima impulsen el incendio más allá de la línea de control. Los bomberos continúan patrullando, haciendo liquidación y extinguiendo los puntos calientes a lo largo de la línea de control sur. Los equipos de bomberos continúan construyendo una línea de fuego a lo largo del borde del incendio en el lado oeste a medida que avanzan hacia el norte. La construcción de la línea de fuego manual avanza en el lado este del incendio, extendiéndose hacia el norte desde una línea de bulldozer existente. Los recursos aéreos están evaluando los helipuertos propuestos de evacuación médica a medida que los bomberos se adentran en terrenos más accidentados y remotos. Un Sistema de Aviación No Tripulada (dron) también está disponible para ayudar a evaluar los combustibles, el comportamiento del incendio y las áreas de calor mediante una cámara infrarroja. Los equipos de protección de estructuras están monitoreando y manteniendo activamente las defensas alrededor de más de 500 estructuras a lo largo de Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek y Red Dirt Creek Road. 

Clima y el comportamiento del fuego: Las lluvias recientes han mantenido altos los niveles de humedad relativa, lo que ha ayudado a minimizar el riesgo de incendio. El sábado se despejará lentamente el cielo y habrá sol, con una ligera probabilidad de lluvia en zonas de mayor altitud. Se espera que el domingo comience una tendencia gradual de calentamiento y sequía. La humedad relativa comenzará a descender ligeramente cada día; sin embargo, se necesitarán algunos días de sequía antes de que sea probable un aumento significativo de la actividad del incendio. Es posible que las bolsas de calor interiores sigan produciendo humo donde los árboles muertos y caídos aún arden lentamente. El fuego podría extenderse lentamente por el suelo en zonas donde las coníferas mixtas, los abetos subalpinos y los pinos contortos se transforman en álamos. 

Para información sobre la calidad el aire y la perspectiva de humo, visite: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/es/4d276598  

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 Río Colorado y el Bosque Nacional White River. Para más información, visite su sitio web: https://www.blm.gov/ucr-fire-restrictions. Consulte las alertas forestales críticas y de restricciones por incendios en https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts/.  

Se han reabierto los caminos Colorado River Road, Sweetwater Road y Red Dirt Creek. Los condados Eagle y Garfield han cambiado el estado de evacuación para los residentes de Sweetwater Valley, Sheep Creek, y Red Dirt Creek a “LISTOS”, la etapa 1 del proceso de evacuaciones que significa que “esté preparados”: https://arcg.is/S0u4G o https://sites.google.com/eaglecounty.us/ecemergencyespanol/inicio.  

Se ha establecido una Restricción Temporal de Vuelo (TFR) sobre el incendio Derby. Se prohíbe a todas las aeronaves no autorizadas (incluidos los drones) volar cerca del incendio, ya que pueden interferir con las operaciones de apoyo aéreo autorizadas. Para más información, visite https://tfr.faa.gov. 

Información sobre el Incendio Derby
Teléfono: 970-355-3283 (de 8:00 a. m. a 8:00 p. m.)
Correo electrónico: 2025.Derby@firenet.gov 

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3

#DerbyFire Ryan Sharpe, Operations Sections Chief, discusses firefighting tactics on the #DerbyFire.

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3 took command of the Derby Fire from Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 this Saturday morning, August 30th at 6AM. While higher relative humidity values continue to moderate fire activity today, firefighters are building control line as directly as possible along the fire edge. Hotshot crews are advancing handline along the southwestern side of the fire, beginning to turn the corner to move up to the western edge. Patrolling and mop-up continue on the southern edge. Crews are strengthening and widening handline, moving south from the Sugarloaf Lake area toward the cold fire edge on the southeastern side. Handline construction continues on the east side of the fire, moving north.

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3

Incident Commanders Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Ben Sanders

Derby Fire Quick Facts: August 30, 2025
Location: 13 miles north of Dotsero, CO
Start Date: 8/16/2025
Cause: Lightning Size: Est. 5,738 acres
Completion/Containment: 6%
Total personnel 667

Hand crews, such as the one pictured, serve as the “boots on the ground” in wildfire suppression. They are able to access difficult terrain where machinery may not and may hike long distances to reach the fireline. These crews are generally made up of a sawyer or “bucker,” who builds hand line by cutting trees to clear the path ahead. The bucker is followed by the “swamper” who removes the cut debris from the path. Following them comes a line of multiple diggers, swiping with a hand tool, continuing to advance down the line. Working together, they gradually clear vegetation to mineral soil, which the fire is unable to creep across.

These hand crews carry line gear that weighs about 35-40 pounds. It contains protective equipment, tools, water, snacks, a sack lunch and a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE), if needed. All of this is to keep them fueled and prepared for the immense and difficult work that they do every day.

Photo: The Mimbres 1 Type 2 Crew, based in Socorro, New Mexico, pose with the tools they use to build control line, including a chainsaw and specialized hoes. The backpack straps they’re wearing secure their line gear as they work. This crew had been working to build and improve control line on the southeast side of the fire. They demobilized Saturday and will return to their base to rest and refurbish their tools and equipment before their next assignment. – S.Rawding/Derby Fire.