Firefighters hammered the 28.3-square-mile blaze burning west of Pueblo — with roughly one firefighter deployed per 20 blackened acres, aided by air attacks — taking advantage of calmer winds Sunday to squelch flames in treacherous rocky canyons south of Hardscrabble Pass.
Firefighting commanders said the Junkins Fire, covering 18,132 acres, was 50 percent contained Sunday night.
The fire broke out last week about 11 miles east of Westcliffe when wind blew a metal roof into a power line. The metal cut the power line. It fell across a fence, and flying sparks ignited dry grass.
Then, 55-mile-per-hour winds fanned the fire.
By Sunday, flames had spread through brush and heavy timber: pinon pines and aspen — all south of Colorado Highway 69 between Wetmore and Westcliffe, which remains open.
The fire burned a mosaic pattern, skipping patches on leeward crests, but intensely enough that firefighters Saturday faced a mother bear and two cubs fleeing scorched terrain, said Michael Davis, spokesman for the Great Basin National Incident Management Team that is leading efforts to stop the fire. “This fire has definitely displaced wildlife.”
There will be an ecological benefit across the 18,132 acres burned.
“That fire is a natural part of the ecosystem and the ecology of the forest. By coming through there and clearing out downed and dead material, it should allow new growth in the future. Typically, fore does benefit the forest,” Davis said.
However, “this is a full containment and suppression effort. We’re not interested in letting this fire burn for an ecological benefit,” he said. “We want to put the fire out.”
About 70 residents still are displaced from their homes. Firefighters said flames destroyed nine houses and 18 other structures. The fire burned on a mix of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and privately-owned parcels.
Colorado National Guard crews helped in the aerial attack, which involved two heavy tankers dropping red slurry, two smaller tankers and six helicopters, including two Blackhawks, lugging buckets of water scooped from ponds in the area.
Firefighters also relied on two “air attack platforms” – small planes flying high above the flames and smoke plumes so that commanders can observe the fire and coordinate attacks using choppers and tankers.
Bulldozers helped cut containment lines through heavy vegetation around the fire.
It’s hunting season. Firefighting supervisors said many hunters and others are in the area and advised extreme caution.
