Single Publication

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team One, Dan Dallas, Incident Commander

The fire has grown to 1,572 acres based on Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Multi-Mission Aircraft. The fire is 37 percent contained around the north and west sides of the fire perimeter. Helicopters operated yesterday, dousing areas of heat with water, while ground crews built containment line and conducted small burnout operations. Little rain fell over the fire area yesterday; not sufficient to increase fuel moisture. Fuels are critically dry, and the fire wants to grow in any direction, following slope, wind, and fuels. 

In Divisions A and M, crews will patrol, mop up and construct direct and indirect containment line toward the south. In Division Z, crews continue to secure remaining pockets of heat removing fuels around structures in case fire advances in that direction. Division T is being evaluated for contingency containment opportunities and to identify values at risk. A crew will work around the Mount Pisgah communications site today, removing hazardous fuels to reduce risk of loss of that critical infrastructure. The Structure group will be working in the threatened communities in the evacuation area, assessing risk, removing fuels, and preparing for the possibility of fire moving through. Night operations will continue to monitor for increased fire activity, securing any flare-ups that threaten containment lines. 

Numerous fire engines, water tenders, fire suppression modules, dozers, hand crews and Hotshots are fighting the fire from the ground. Three Type 1 and two Type 2 helicopters, and one air attack platform will continue to support the firefighting effort with aerial observation and bucket drops. Air tankers are available, if needed, but are not assigned to High Park Fire. 

Weather: Conditions are expected to be similar to yesterday, with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Skies will be mostly sunny in the morning, turning mostly cloudy later in the day. West-northwest winds will be around 10 mph, gusting to 20 mph, with minimum relative humidity around 11 percent. A weak cold front will pass through this evening, bringing a shift in wind direction and a slight chance for afternoon thunderstorms. 

Evacuations and Fire Restrictions: Please visit the Teller County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for up-to-date information on restrictions, evacuations, and closures; an interactive map is available at http://tiny.cc/HighParkFire2022_TellerCo. 

Teller County is under Stage 2 fire restrictions. Sign up for emergency alerts at www.peakalerts.org. Stage 1 fire restrictions are in effect on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands across the Royal Gorge Field Office. Learn more at https://go.usa.gov/xuFcR.  

Special Note: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood, you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Learn more about wildfire smoke impacts at https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colo_advisory.aspx.  

The High Park Fire is located approximately 25 miles north of the Canon City wild horse holding facility. There is no threat from the fire to the wild horses. 

High Park Fire Statistics:
 

Size: estimated at 1,572 acres 
 

Containment: 37% 
 

Total Personnel: 279 
 

Location: 5.5 miles west of Cripple Creek, Teller County, Colorado 
 

Reported: May 12, 2022 

For More Information on High Park Fire: 

Fire Information Phone: 719-315-4005 
 

Fire email: 2022.highpark@firenet.gov 
 

Teller County Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tellersheriff 
 

Incident Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highparkfire2022  
 

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8102/