KUSA – While residents in two areas were allowed to return to their homes Thursday, the 416 Fire grew to 32,076 acres with no update on containment.
The fire, burning just 13 miles north of Durango, is still being worked by over 1,000 firefighters who are battling this thing from the air and the ground. Burn out efforts, that is, efforts to burn up the fire's potential fuel, continued throughout the day.
On Wednesday, 764 homes were reopened for residents while 163 were placed under pre-evacuation orders, according to the La Plata County government.
The evacuations that were lifted on Thursday covered the areas west of U.S. Highway 550 from mile marker 33.5 at Honeyville north to the Glacier Club entrance at mile marker 39.5, and east of Highway 550 to the Animas River from Mead/Albrecht Lane north to Rockwood.
The Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team would like all residents to remember that while mandatory evacs have been lifted, all homes in those areas are still under pre-evacuation orders.
Highway 550 remains closed at night between mile marker 39.5 and 49.5 - but law enforcement escorts will be made available Friday to take motorists through that area from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Incident Management Team said a red flag warning will be in effect for areas near the fire from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday because of the chance of dry thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 40 mph.
The growth of the fire may be due to burnout operations, which accounted for the majority of the fire's growth Wednesday.
The fire has been raging for nearly two weeks, but not a single home has been lost and no injuries have been reported.
Homes in the 1000 block of County Road 204 at Sailing Hawks - 44 in all - are under pre-evac notice as well, La Plata County government said.
It's important to note that just because 550 has been opened does not mean it will stay that way; the road could close at a moment's notice.
“I ask the public to continue to be flexible knowing our goal is to open the highway and allow people back to their homes,” La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith said.
What’s been dubbed the 416 Fire started burning on June 1 north of Durango. In the days since, multiple evacuation orders have been issued and 1,232 firefighters have been assigned to both this and the nearby Burro Fire.
What caused the 416 Fire remains under investigation.
Despite the national attention the fires have received, Gov. John Hickenlooper held a news conference Wednesday morning emphasizing that Durango remains “open for business” and the worst thing tourists can do is cancel their trips to the region.
Among the resources ordered to battle the 416 Fire are nine Type 1 hand crews, 55 engines, three dozers, eight helicopters and four water tenders.
The entire San Juan National Forest remains closed to the public due to firefighting activity.
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