Fire is burning about 5 miles south of Bailey, near the Shawnee Community.
A fire in the Lost Creek Wilderness in northeastern park county grew to 40 acres overnight, with no containment reported. The closest community is the Shawnee Community, which is about 3 miles away.
The Shawnee Peak Fire was first reported a little after 3 p.m. on Monday, August 26, and area fire crews made their way to the scene to start fighting the blaze. The area that it is burning is rugged and steep, making it harder to get on top of. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Pike and San Isabel officials have said that additional resources will be arriving on Tuesday to help with the efforts.
New map has been updated showing general location of the #ShawneePeakFire Fire is estimated to be 37 acres. Multiple aircraft on scene working the fire #COFire https://t.co/HnaSXQZMEZ pic.twitter.com/Kie8GTjYSH
— USFS_Pike&San Isabel (@PSICC_NF) August 27, 2019
"Firefighters will be flown into the fire today and will begin fire suppression using natural features on the landscape to minimize suppression caused damage to natural and cultural resources. Fire engine crews will assess homes for fire risk in the Shawnee Community," said the Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) fire information website update on Tuesday morning.
You can see the USFS' aerial recon flight from Monday below.
#ShawneePeakFire 11pm update. Fire is currently 40 acres, additional crews and aircraft to arrive tomorrow. New video upload of today's aerial recon flight. https://t.co/HnaSXQZMEZ pic.twitter.com/w2whhXmpMn
— USFS_Pike&San Isabel (@PSICC_NF) August 27, 2019
As of a 7:45 a.m. Tuesday morning briefing from USFS officials, fire behavior was limited due to overnight humidity. Several roads in the area were closed, but they are now being reported as open.
However, fire officials have closed several trailheads, which will remain closed until it is deemed safe to return. These include:
- Ben Tyler
- Brookside Payne Creek
- North Fork
- Long Gulch
- Rock Creek
For updates on the fire and suppression efforts, you can follow USFS Pike and San Isabel Twitter or visit the PSICC fire information website.
