fast moving fire at Philmont (Ute Park Fire)

[Rachel P]

https://nmfireinfo.com/2018/06/01/ute-park-fire-colfax-county-06-01-730-a-m/

[Brad P]

Not good. I’m glad to hear no injuries so far. 12 structures gone.

[two pints]

According to Philmont’s website, summer treks have not started yet so there are no participants on camp yet.  As of today, no program structures have been affected.

http://philmontscoutranch.org/about/fireinformation.aspx

 

Ute Park Fire Update: June 1, 2018 @ 9:30 a.m.

The Ute Park fire is estimated at 8,000 acres with 0% containment; approximately 12 unoccupied, non-residential, non-program structures at Cimarroncita have been lost. Red flag conditions are predicted for the fire area today.

Currently, there are numerous resources from State Forestry and our local and federal partners working to suppress this fire on the ground with support from 2 very large air tankers (VLAT), 6 heavy air tankers, and 4 helicopters.  Additional incident management resources are expected to arrive later today to reinforce operations.

The nearby communities of Ute Park and Cimarron are under a mandatory evacuation order due to air quality, and Philmont full-time staff living in Cimarron have been released to care for their families. Philmont staff are prepared to evacuate base camp if the air quality decreases.

The Philmont management team is working closely with the New Mexico State Police and Incident Command to monitor the situation.

Ute Park Fire Update: May 31, 2018 at 8:00 p.m.

The Ute Park Fire is estimated at 1,200 acres and is burning on Philmont Scout Ranch property. Multiple resources are working this fire on the ground and air.

There are no participants on the property at this time and all staff have been accounted for. We greatly appreciate our first responders for keeping our community safe.

Ute Park Fire – May 31, 2018 at 5:25 p.m.

Philmont Scout Ranch has a fire burning on ranch property near Ute Park. There are no participants on the property at this time and all staff have been accounted for. Many agencies including the Philmont Fire Department are on scene.

“The safety and well-being of our participants and staff is of paramount importance to the BSA, and integral to everything we do. We are thankful that no youth members, adult volunteers or staff have been harmed, and we greatly appreciate our first responders for keeping our community safe.”

 

[Matthew / BPL]

Here is the Inciweb page for the fire.

[Kevin B]

Fire is now over 27,000 acres with 0% containment.

nmfireinfo.com/2018/06/02/ute-park-fire-june-2-2017-morning-update/

Tough break for all the scouts spending their treks at the county fair grounds, but maybe they’ll find a way to contribute to the community while waiting for the next stage.

[David Y]

There were no Scouts at Philmont yet, the season has not yet opened.

[Edgar M]

Here is a good spot to map the fire

https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=51d1d66216a9427ab1bc3832ac066603

 

I’m not sure about the structures, but if the map is accurate, at this time, the fire encompasses the following camp/sites:  Sawmill, Upper and lower Sawmill, Ute Gulch, Hidden Valley, Window Rock, Aspen Springs, Deer Lake, Deer Lake Mesa, Video Grande, Upper Bench, Ute Springs, Harlan Vaca, Dean Cow, Turkey Creek.  There are others, but these are the ones that jumped out at me.

Note that none of the fire borders are considered contained.  Keep the locals, Philmont staff, and the firefighters in your prayers.

 

[Edgar M]

Update:  Philmont announced this afternoon that all treks through July 14 are being canceled due to the fire.  Although disappointed, I’m not surprised and believe it is the right call for the safety of the staff and participants.

For a lot of troops, this will result in them just staying home.  We are exploring other options to make our own adventure  There are only 8 of us and we already planned on spending 3 days in CO to acclimate to the altitude before arriving at Philmont.  We had rafting Buena Vista and a trip to Pike’s Peak on the itinerary.  Can anyone providey suggestions on a 3 or 4 day backpacking trip that won’t require permits, incredible amounts of planning, or the lungs of a sherpa (we are sea level dwellers)?

[Brad P]

Yes, as disappointing as it is for the crews, it’s the locals who are at risk of losing everything. Let’s hope for lots of rain and very little wind.

[Jeffrey Peters]

Edgar M it might be worth it to look at the Colorado Trail. I have no personal knowledge of it . http://www.coloradotrail.org/

 

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