2020 wildfire season: Sand Creek Fire (near Pagosa Springs, Colorado)

On June 19,  a US National Weather Service IMET from the NWS Office in Cheyenne Wyoming was deployed to the Sand Creek Fire burning in the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At the time I am writing this article, the Sand Creek Fire has burned 65 acres in a very remote area that was previously burned in 2012. According the incident overview on the Sand Creek Fire's Inciweb's page:

The Sand Creek fire was started by lightning and first reported on June 15th, 2020. It is located 21 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs, in the Piedra Special Management Area. It is currently estimated at 65 acres in size and is burning within an area previously burned during the Little Sand Fire of 2012. Smokejumpers parachuted into the fire area on June 16th. After assessing the fire on the ground, the decision was made not to engage due to hazardous snags (standing dead/damaged trees), heavy fuel loads, and difficult terrain.

Retardant drops by tankers have been made on this fire, see this June 22nd news release on Inciweb  and this June 22nd report from KRQE in Albuquerque New Mexico.

There are maps, videos, and photographs available from links on the Sand Creek Fire's Inciweb's page.

I am intrigued by this seemingly small fire because of the challenges that this wildfire has posed and because of the role of tankers and other aviation assets have played. I understand that there is a risk of more lightning on June 24th in the fire area. I do not know if the IMET that was deployed on June 19th is still onsite providing incident specific weather forecasts, if so then the IMET is providing an important service.