Evacuations from Fire near Durango

A community hotline has been set up for the Lightner Creek Fire at 970-385-8700. The American Red Cross has opened the La Plata County Fairgrounds as an evacuation center for evacuated residents and pets.

From LaPlata County:

At approximately 4:06 p.m., a fire was reported at a residence at the intersection of County Road 207 and 208.  The smoke from the fire is very visible from Durango.  When fire fighters arrived, they estimated that the fire was at 25 acres.  The fire is not contained and fire information is being released by Durango Fire Protection District. 

A community hotline has been set up for the Lightner Creek Fire at 970-385-8700.

The American Red Cross has opened the La Plata County Fairgrounds as an evacuation center for evacuated residents and pets.  Evacuations have been ordered for the following:

•             All residents on County Road 207 north of the intersection of County Road 207/208

•             All residents on County Road 206, with the exception of the Westwood Apartments, at the intersection of County Road 206 and Highway 160.

•             Twin Buttes Subdivision

•             Animas High School

•             Hogs Back Trail System

Pre-Evacuations have been made for residents in the following areas:

•             County Road 208

•             Highway 160, one mile west of County Road 207

•             Dakota and Westwood Apartments on County Road 206.

Approximately 140 homes have been evacuated.  La Plata County Sheriff’s Office has gone door-to-door to inform residents of evacuations and residents have been notified by La Plata County’s emergency notification system (commonly referred to as “Reverse 9-1-1”).

San Juan Basin Public Health Department advises that if visibility is less than five miles, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion; everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill.

Other tips to protect yourself:

•             Close windows and doors and stay inside. However, do not close up your home tightly if it makes it dangerously warm inside.

•             Only if they are filtered, run the air conditioning, your evaporative cooler, or the fan feature on your home heating system (with the heat turned off). Keep the outdoor air intake closed and be sure the filter is clean. Filtered air typically has less smoke than the air outdoors. Running these appliances if they are not filtered can make indoor smoke worse.

•             As temperatures cool in the evening inversion conditions worsen and smoke in low lying areas may become thicker, especially if the outdoor air is still. It tends to be worst near dawn.

•             Close bedroom windows at night.

•             To prepare for nighttime smoke, consider airing out your home during the early or middle of the afternoon when smoke tends to be more diluted. Use your best judgment. If smoke is thick during the day, follow the tips above.

Please contact your primary health care provider if symptoms persist or become more severe.

Residents who live in La Plata County may register up to five cell or Internet phone numbers with a physical street address, ensuring that emergency notifications are received even when residents are not at home or if they don’t have a land line.  To sign up, visit http://www.co.laplata.co.us/emergency.