Welcome Rain Dampens Fire Fight Concerns
With frequent reference to the arrival of “monsoon season” and better than average chance of afternoon rainfall in coming days, fire fears from the Elk Wildfire — static in recent days at 2,307.5 acres burned — are lessening.Mandatory evacuation zones on the Lake Fork at the northern boundary of the county have likewise lessened with announcement by Hinsdale County Emergency Manager Phil Graham and Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday this week.Only a single zone, expansive HNS-E002 to the west of the Lake Fork River, encompassing the location of the fire within U.S. Forest Service Uncompahgre Wilderness surrounding Crystal Lake and Crystal Peak, with minimal private landholdings, remains in the mandatory evacuation mode.Another lower Lake Fork zone, HNS-E005 — a slim wedge of land to the west of the Lake Fork at the county boundary — was in yellow “Get Set” status last week but now has transitioned to the calmer green “Get Ready” category for preparedness in the event evacuation is required.Through efforts of Graham and his team, Hinsdale County Sheriff Starnes, following rain drizzle throughout the night, on Thursday morning this week announced evacuation preparedness advisories have now been dropped on all other Lake Fork Valley zones, including
