Routt County’s first two notable wildfires of the season ignited within two hours of each other Sunday afternoon, prompting evacuation orders, road closures and a multi-agency response across the region. 

The first wildfire start, located just north of Rabbit Ears Pass and four miles southeast of Mount Werner, had spread to at least 100 acres as of 2:15 p.m. Monday. That fire, called the Fishhook Fire, was first reported around 12:30 p.m. Sunday and was zero percent contained as of Monday, according to Routt National Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist Aaron Voos.

Routt County Emergency Operations Director David DeMorat said Monday morning that the county got the report of the first fire and that he and Sheriff Doug Scherar headed to the scene, joined by units from Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue.

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The whole time, DeMorat said, he and Scherar knew that the fire was on U.S. Forest Service land. He noted that members of the federal agency joined them along with individuals from the state’s Department of Fire Protection.

“We knew it had the potential to grow fairly large, but it was all on federal property; it was up to them to determine how to manage that, but we weren’t there too long before another smoke report, the one for Green Ridge, was reported out near Stagecoach,” he added.

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The Green Ridge Fire that DeMorat referred to was the other Routt County wildfire that started just south of Stagecoach Reservoir in Routt County on Sunday.

It was reported less than two hours after the Fishhook Fire. As of Monday afternoon, it was holding at 44 acres and was 27% contained.

DeMorat noted that while the fire in Stagecoach was not as big as Fishhook, it “was in closer proximity to some (property) values at risk.”

“There are two neighborhoods where the fire was within about .03 of a mile … and it was all on private property, so that became our priority,” said DeMorat.

“It was pretty fortuitous for us that a lot of resources — in particular, the aviation that was originally going to go to the Fishhook Fire — was diverted down to the Green Ridge Fire in order to check some homes that were being threatened,” he added.

When he got there, DeMorat witnessed a massive display of firefighting aircraft, including helicopters and “Super Scooper” aircraft, with both types using water from Stagecoach Reservoir to drop on the fire. The response also included drops of retardant from air tankers.

“They started very aggressively attacking that and they did an outstanding job,” said DeMorat.

The Green Ridge Fire: 44 acres; 20 homes under mandatory evacuation

As of 2 p.m. Monday, no structures had been damaged or destroyed due to the Green Ridge Fire, which DeMorat said started on private land. He also said the cause of the fire is unknown and will be investigated by the Routt County Sheriff’s Office.

The Green Ridge Fire prompted evacuation orders for zones OC-528 and OC-536 in Stagecoach. Residents in those zones were advised to leave immediately and not delay by packing belongings or preparing their homes.

Zones OC-522 and OC-523, which were previously under evacuation orders, returned to pre-evacuation status at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

As of Monday afternoon, evacuation and pre-evacuation orders linked to the Green Ridge Fire remained in place.

An evacuation center was available at Soroco High School (305 Grant Ave.) in Oak Creek until 8 p.m. on Sunday and from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Monday, according to a news release from Routt County Communications sent out early Sunday evening.

The center includes ample space for campers and vehicles and is primarily available for information and temporary necessities, but it is not currently an overnight shelter, according to the news release.

People with pets should contact the Routt County Humane Society at 970-879-7247 for sheltering assistance if needed, as animals are not allowed at the Soroco High School center.

DeMorat said Monday evening that the center would be open during the same hours for as long as zones in the area are in evacuation status.

Residents with questions can contact the Routt County Office of Emergency Management Call Center at 970-871-8444 or email info@co.routt.co.us.

DeMorat said residents living in evacuation and pre-evacuation zones should know sheriff’s deputies are patrolling the area to keep properties safe. “If you don’t have a reason to be there, you will be stopped,” he added.

For those who live in those zones and need to access their property, he said the evacuation center is a place to find assistance.

“If people do have requirements that mean they need to get back into their property for some medication or if they are concerned about animals, whether it be livestock and getting them out, please let us know because we have teams available that can assist in that,” said DeMorat.

“If they do need shelter, they would let the evac center know and here in the (Emergency Operations Center) we would arrange to find some shelter for them,” he added.

Routt County officials remind residents who are evacuating to consider the following: 

• Essentials: Medications, important documents (i.e. IDs, insurance information, birth certificates), contact lists, a first-aid kit, flashlight, battery-powered radio and extra batteries. 
• Clothing and personal items: Include a change of clothes, sturdy shoes and personal hygiene items. 
• Food and water: Pack non-perishable food and water for a few days. 
• Pet supplies: If you have pets, pack food, water, carriers, leashes and any necessary medications. 
• Valuables: Include essential valuables like credit cards, cash and irreplaceable items like family photos. 
• If you have time, turn off the gas, electricity, and water and disconnect appliances.

Residents in pre-evacuation zones are encouraged to pack their car, keep a full gas tank and orient their vehicle in the direction of leaving. Residents are also encouraged to stay vigilant of their surroundings and stay up-to-date with official information sources as conditions change.

County officials announced 14 road closures in the Stagecoach area at around 12:30 p.m. Monday. The county has set up road barricades to restrict travel as firefighting operations and aerial water drops continue.

The following roads are closed to the public and are only open to emergency services and residential property owners:

• County Road 16 at 18A
• County Road 212 just past Schussmark Trail
• Snowbird Trail
• Broken Talon Trail
• Broken Talon Way
• Lynx Basin Way
• Lynx Basin Lane
• King Fisher Lane
• Green Ridge Drive
• Mountain Meadows Drive
• Ute Trail
• Cheyenne Trail
• Los Ranchos Road
• Commanche Road

The Green Ridge Fire threatens roughly 480 structures within three miles and has 20 homes under mandatory evacuation, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Jared Polis sent just after 7:15 p.m. Sunday evening.

The news release also noted that the governor issued a verbal disaster declaration for the wildfire, which “activates the State Emergency Operations Plan and directs the Department of Public Safety and its Divisions of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to take responsibility for all response, recovery, and mitigation efforts on the Green Ridge Fire.”

A Type 3 Incident Management Team is scheduled to assume command of the fire at 6 p.m. Monday to support ongoing operations.

The Fishhook Fire: 100+ acres; aerial and ground resources engaged

As of Monday evening, the Fishhook Fire has not yet prompted any pre-evacuation or evacuation orders. While the fire is not currently near any residences, said Voos, its spread could potentially threaten infrastructure at Steamboat Resort, including power lines and ski lifts/cables. 

Forest Service officials, who are responding to the fire, posted an update to the InciWeb incident report Monday morning, noting that growth occurred overnight. 

An incident management team was ordered and both aerial and ground resources engaged the fire Monday, said officials. An area closure for the surrounding forest is in the works and will be announced soon. 

Responding personnel face difficult ground access, added Forest Service officials. Aerial resources are being utilized to verify and update acreage. As of Monday afternoon, U.S. Highway 40 remained open, and additional firefighting resources were on the scene.

Voos told the newspaper Monday afternoon that a Type 1 helicopter out of Operation Sky Hammer, meant primarily for initial response, was utilized Sunday and Monday to fight the Fishhook Fire.

Forest service officials announced the launch of Operation Sky Hammer, which includes two Sikorsky Skycrane helicopters hosted at the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, in mid-July last year with the aim of providing standby resources for rapid regional firefighting response. 

In addition to Forest Service crews and helicopters, U.S. Wildland Fire Service personnel — including the Boise Helitack crew — and contract resources are all responding to the Fishhook Fire, said Voos.

He added that the cause of the fire has not been identified. Ground crews, who are primarily accessing the fire through the Bruce’s Trail trailhead on Rabbit Ears Pass, “have not been able to access the origin.”

Voos said that around 100 people are currently working the fire and that the number of responding personnel is “booming.”

While no official road closures or evacuations have been announced for the Fishhook Fire, members of the public should avoid recreating in the Rabbit Ears area, officials note. Campers should be prepared to evacuate if an order is given.

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation Director of Communications Maren Franciosi said the growth of the fire prompted crews to start 41 snowmaking guns to wet the areas around Tomahawk and Spike trails and around Rendezvous Lodge on Monday.

“We are incredibly grateful to the firefighters and responding agencies working tirelessly to protect our community,” said Franciosi in a statement. “We also want to thank our employees, guests and community for their support and understanding as conditions evolve.”

The resort has also established its incident command and emergency response team. It consists of members from various divisions including mountain operations, communications, risk and safety, human resources and the leadership team.

The resort is in contact with local, state and federal emergency services and fire officials, said Franciosi, adding that 14 resort employees have been displaced by the fire and are being lodged at the Steamboat Grand.

The resort has also adjusted its day-to-day operations, restricting upper-mountain access. The resort canceled its events on Sunday.

• To view evacuation zones in Routt County, visit tinyurl.com/4bss4p3k. 
• For updates on road closures, visit co.routt.co.us/EmergencyMap.
• To sign up for Routt County Alerts, visit tinyurl.com/knacnepd.

Steamboat Pilot & Today reporter Nick Slater and Steamboat Pilot & Today editor Trevor Ballantyne contributed to this story.