September 22, 2020 9:30 a.m.
The Archie Creek Fire burning east of Glide is 44 percent contained, and remains just under 132,000 acres.
The latest update said Monday’s fire behavior was limited to smoldering and creeping, so firefighters continued to make good progress building and strengthening fire lines and mopping up. Water drops from a helicopter were used to help firefighters contain a half-acre fire discovered Sunday outside the perimeter of the Archie Creek Fire, about two miles north of its northeast flank in the Pass Creek area. Crews are continuing work on the holdover fire. A helicopter also dropped fire retardant on the southern part of the fire in the Thunder Mountain area. Helicopters are still available for fire suppression again, if needed.
The update said fire behavior is expected to remain minimal and firefighters will take advantage of that by constructing fire lines as close to the fire’s edge as possible getting ready for gusty southwest winds that are in the forecast. A frontal system is expected to drop between a half inch to close and three-quarters of an inch of rain Wednesday evening through Friday.
An infrared flight taken Monday showed scattered hot spots throughout the fire. Firefighters will focus on cooling hot spots near containment lines and continuing to build, construct and strengthen fire lines.
Fire hose has been placed around the fire to help cool areas near containment lines.
The Big Tree is still standing and the area around it was not affected by the fire. Firefighters will install a sprinkler system in that area to protect it and will continue to remove live and dead vegetation around the Wolf Creek Job Corps to reduce fire risk.
North of Highway 138E in the Steamboat area, crews and heavy equipment continue to work along Canton Creek Road to Trapper Creek to improve contingency fire lines in case the fire crosses primary fire lines.
The update said as containment increases in some areas, firefighters will backhaul equipment, grade roads and begin to assess what actions they need to take to repair damage from building fire lines and suppressing the fire. This is to ensure that fire line construction and other suppression actions do not have long-lasting impacts to natural resources.
1,055 people are assigned to the fire.