Ouray County, Colorado · Wildfire
| Metric | Last report | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size |
39,674 acres Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
39,691 acres
Aug 16, 6:01 AM
+17 acres
was 39,674 acres · Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
+17 acres
in about 11 hours
|
| Containment |
90% Aug 10, 7:00 PM
|
87%
Aug 16, 6:01 AM
−3 percent
was 90% · Aug 10, 7:00 PM
|
−3 percent
in 5 days
|
| Crew size |
97 Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
86
Aug 16, 6:01 AM
−11
was 97 · Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
−11
in about 11 hours
|
| Money spent |
$62.7M Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
$63.3M
Aug 16, 6:01 AM
+$640,205
was $62.7M · Aug 15, 7:01 PM
|
+$640,205
in about 11 hours
|
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The Gold Mountain Fire is a wildfire near Ouray County, Colorado. It has burned about 39,691 acres (about 30,000 football fields). Crews have boxed in 87% of its edge; the other 13% isn't contained yet. It was first reported about 7 weeks ago. About 86 people are on it, run by a Complex Incident Management Team. We're also tracking 3 other active fires within about 75 miles.
The size and containment above are current as of Sunday, August 16th at 6:01 a.m. CDT.
Hot, dry, and windy weather can help a fire grow; cool, calm, or wet weather helps crews. The tags below rate each day for fire spread — green is calm, red can push a fire.
A general fire-weather guide (wind matters most, then how dry it is, then heat), not a prediction of what this fire will do.
Overnight
47°F · Mostly Clear
Wind 5 mph SE · 0% chance of rain
Sunday
69°F · Mostly Sunny
Wind 0 to 10 mph N · 5% chance of rain
Sunday Night
52°F · Partly Cloudy
Wind 5 to 10 mph S · 2% chance of rain
Monday
70°F · Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind 5 mph SW · 12% chance of rain
Monday Night
52°F · Mostly Clear
Wind 5 to 10 mph SW · 1% chance of rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service (weather.gov), pulled Sunday, August 16th at 6:01 a.m. CDT.
About 86 people are assigned to this fire, run by a Complex Incident Management Team. The government rates it a Type 2 Incident. About $63 million has been spent on it so far.
The official feed reports the total headcount, not a breakdown by crew type.
We show the daily official picture. For minute-by-minute updates, evacuation orders, and maps, these do it best:
Within about 75 miles we're tracking 3 other active fires, closest first:
Fighting fire is a job you can get
Wildland firefighting is an entry-level job. You start with no experience and no college degree, and one season pays more than most summer internships.
Most crews hire in fall and winter for the next summer, when more jobs open up.
Colorado has 2 of these jobs open right now.
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