Social Media, Evacuation and Closure Information: https://linktr.ee/2026ElkPublic
Acres: 2,317– Containment: 0% – Detection: 07/09/26 – Cause: Lightning – Personnel: 337
Location: 7 miles northwest of Lake City, Colorado
Operational Update: Crews continued with masticators and chippers along Road 868 to improve the fireline
by mulching vegetation. Similar operations occurred on Nellie Creek Rd (7877 Rd.). Structure protection efforts
are almost complete in all areas. The fire grew 7 acres in size yesterday.
Today: Firefighters will patrol firelines and structural protections along Highway 149, County Road 20, and
Nellie Creek Rd. Also, north of the fire, work along the 868 Road area will strengthen control line that ties in
with the Stock Driveway. Firefighters will continue to observe the fire for any changes in fire behavior.
Roads: PLEASE SLOW DOWN. Keep fire personnel and yourself safe. There is a reduced speed limit area
of Highway 149 where firefighter traffic remains high. The Alpine Loop is open and there are no closures on
County Road 30 (Cinnamon Pass) where trails and campgrounds remain open.
Weather: There is a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. Partly
cloudy in the morning, becoming mostly cloudy in the afternoon. Valley temperatures will be 83°-86° and 72°-
75° in the fire footprint, with winds 5-10 mph, and afternoon gusts 15-20 mph.
Evacuations: Current evacuation information is available at the links below:
Hinsdale County: https://hinsdalecounty.colorado.gov
Closures: The National Forest has implemented an area closure west of Highway 149 and north of County
Road 20 in Hinsdale and Gunnison Counties. For further information visit:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/alerts
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has implemented a temporary emergency closure for public lands,
roads and trails north of County Road 20 (Engineer Pass). The closure includes Nellie Creek, the Uncompahgre
Trailhead and the upper portion of County Road 24 (North Henson) from Capitol City to the Wetterhorn
and Matterhorn areas. For further information visit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fireand-
aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district
Road Closures: Forest Service Road 7868 (Alpine Road) remains closed. Some public maps display the route
as Road 868. Forest Service roads 877 (Nellie Creek) and 870 (Matterhorn Trailheads) to the north are closed.
No Fly Zone: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the area remains in effect. Flying drones near the fire
is prohibited and can interfere with firefighting aircraft, potentially grounding aerial suppression operations.
http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
