DURANGO, Colo. — Pre-evacuation orders are in place for a wildfire burning near Perins Peak west of Durango.
The pre-evacuation order is in place for County Road 208 and the Dry Fork and Rockridge subdivisions, as well as County Road 206 to Highway 160. An evacuation map can be found here.
Trail access has been closed to Overend Mountain Park, Twin Buttes, and Perins State Wildlife Area.
The fire, which has been named the Perins Peak Fire, broke out around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to La Plata County officials.
We are monitoring a fire near the Perins Peak State Wildlife Area and neighboring BLM property west of Durango. Seasonal closures are already in place on this property through July 31. Avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work. pic.twitter.com/yeBUoKcmIs
— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) May 24, 2022
The fire is roughly 105 acres as of Wednesday morning and burning on Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Parks and Wildlife land, according to Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch. It is burning in heavy timber and oak brush, according to the Durango Fire Protection District.
The Durango Interagency Fire Dispatch said the fire had burned from the bottom of the Rock Ridge Trail to the top of Perins Peak, reaching the Lightner Creek Fire scar from 2017.
Officials said fire behavior had calmed significantly overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, though fire activity will increase Wednesday as the temperature rises.
The Durango Fire Protection District, U.S. Forest Service and BLM are responding to the fire. A Type 3 helicopter is battling the blaze, along with four air tankers, according to La Plata County.
Around 8:30 p.m., DFPD said air resources were shutting down for the night and would continue in the morning. The fire is not currently running towards the city, the department continued.
If you are in Durango and see smoke from this fire, authorities ask that you not call 911 to report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
