Teams from all over the country have teamed up to contain the fire
When wildfires rage, firefighters head to the front lines, but behind every hose line and helicopter drop is a network of personnel coordinating resources, supporting crews and protecting communities.
Their efforts, often unseen, are just as vital as those battling flames at the fire's edge.
Around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Stoner Mesa Fire incident headquarters, only traces of the operation were visible. More than 600 firefighters were deployed to the fire northeast of Dolores.
Past the security checkpoint, public information officers Andy NeSmith of Florida and Matt Peterson of Oregon waited to give a Journal reporter a tour of the base camp.
The fairgrounds' main barn has been transformed into a command center, with yurts labeled for medical, communications, finance, operations, air operations, meteorology and more. A briefing stage stands near the entrance.
Rocky Mountain Team 1 Operations Section Chief Matt Weakland of Buffalo, Wyoming, stood beside a large map printed daily from infrared flyovers, showing hot spots and the fire's footprint.
"It is a full-suppression fire, which means we are taking actions to suppress the fire," Weakland said.
He said the primary goal is to "protect values of risk," most of which lie along Colorado Highway 145 and County Road 38. While pointing to the map, he explained where bulldozing and other operations were underway.
Crews from South Dakota, New Mexico, Florida, Oregon, Wyoming and other states have joined the effort. Most stay for about two weeks before rotating out.
"We've had a shift in how we approach firefighters," Weakland said. "We've put a name to it, and it's called ISAP. It's incident, strategic, alignment, process."
ISAP helps crews develop efficient, safe strategies. Firefighting involves two types of lines: direct and indirect. Direct lines - dozer and hand lines - are placed along the fire's edge.
"We go right to the fire's edge and put a line there to stop the fire progression," Weakland said, noting "X" marks on the map show where those lines are being built.
Indirect lines are placed away from the fire's edge and may be used for burnout operations or long-term containment.
Weakland pointed to a dark-red area on the map with significant heat but little movement.
"The likelihood and probability of this portion of the fire putting threat out to our critical values is low," he said. "But because all our actions are tied to critical values, what we're doing is increasing our structure protection measures out here to prepare for kind of a worst-case scenario."
He added that cleanup and smoke in some areas may continue into October or November.
"There's a lot of dead and downed stuff that was already out there before the fire started, and it's burning," Weakland said. "It's going to smoke for a long time."
While some firefighters stay in hotels, others camp at the fairgrounds or at "spike camps" near the fire. NeSmith said road safety is one of the biggest concerns.
"Our biggest stressor on this are driving these roads," NeSmith said. "They're driving heavy engines and stuff. They're not doing 65 on these roads like locals, and they're getting passed all the time. ... These guys are tired. They've been on the line a lot. We're trying to be safe."
NeSmith and Peterson also discussed elevation, food and laundry services. Firefighters from sea-level areas receive training to prepare for high-altitude conditions like those at Stoner Mesa, which rises above 9,200 feet.
Contractors with mobile kitchens provide hot meals and bag lunches containing 1,800 to 2,400 calories. Food is delivered to crews near the fire - sometimes by helicopter.
A supply area in the fairgrounds' swine barn stocks sleeping bags, tents, gear, gloves, batteries, tools and other supplies. Nearby are stations for chain saw repair, fueling, showers and laundry.
"These are run by the camp crews," Peterson said. "It depends on where you're at, where the camp crew comes from. We've had them from Native American tribes. We've had them from local camp crews. They help maintain the camp. They take out the trash, they sweep the yurt, they manage the food and water, so they are super busy."
NeSmith has worked in wildfire response for 23 years, starting as a firefighter before becoming a public information officer. Peterson was a park ranger for 13 years and has served as a PIO for two.
"These people are passionate about it. They're doing it because they want to be here," NeSmith said. "It's not all about the money. You're away from your family for two to three weeks at a time, and sometimes, depending on the year, you might go out on an assignment five or six times a year. You spend a lot of time away from family. This becomes your family."