Fire crews are making steady progress on the Stoner Mesa Fire, which has burned just under 7,400 acres in the San Juan National Forest. The Rocky Mountain Type 1 Incident Management Team says safeguarding communities and infrastructure along County Road 38 and Highway 145 remains the top priority.
“Everything we’re doing out here on the fire ground is to protect the values that we have in the County Road 38 and the Highway 145 corridor — the town of Rico, dispersed structures in the Stoner area, and the Dunton Hot Springs area,” said Operations Section Chief Matt Weakland. “Firefighters have had a lot of good success putting in control lines close to the fire’s edge, tying together roads and trails. We’ve ramped up structure protection with pumps, sprinklers, and clearing vegetation to give us the best chance for success.”
Crews are reinforcing containment lines along the fire’s edge and preparing for burnout operations to reduce fuel loads. Two structure protection groups are active — one working between Stoner and Rico, and another in the County Road 38 corridor — installing sprinklers, trimming vegetation, and setting up water supply systems to protect homes and buildings.
In addition to direct suppression work, firefighters are scouting rugged terrain between Taylor Mesa and Stoner Mesa, where steep slopes, dead timber, and heavy fuels pose significant challenges. Incident commanders expect more burnout operations in the coming days to strengthen defensive lines ahead of forecasted dry thunderstorms and gusty winds.
