How is Jefferson County recovering from the Quarry Fire?

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — An official from Jefferson County held a news conference on Monday to discuss the status of the Quarry Fire and how they are recovering and rebuilding in its wake.

The Quarry Fire has been classified as “100% contained” but this does not mean the fire is completely extinguished. Those fighting the fire have been diligent in their work post-containment as they continue to put fire fighting and prevention efforts into place.

Multiple agencies involved with fighting the fire were in “staffing mode” as they actively worked on-site to prevent any further harm. After a period of significant rainfall, an accumulated 2.4 inches, the agencies agreed there was enough moisture in the area to switch from staffing mode to patrol mode. Patrol sees officials from these agencies split the duties of traveling to the site daily looking for potential burn area risks and making sure things remain in the contained status.

The patrol period is expected to last for nearly 30 days before the agencies will swap into monitoring mode, a less frequent visit.

Jefferson County Open Space

Jefferson County Open Space is in some major modes including enforcing the closure by writing tickets for those trying to enter Deer Creek Canyon Park proper, Rattlesnake Gulch Trail and Blackbear Trail.

Damage assessment and burn severity

They are also in damage assessment mode seeing what areas such as restrooms, parking lots and trails have been impacted by the fire.

The Natural Resources Team has been tasked with determining the severity of burns in different areas caused by the fire. After using satellite scanning, the team has determined that there are about 46 acres of severely burned land and 48 acres of moderately burned land. This team looks into this impact to see how the burns can affect potential erosion in the event of rainfall and storms.

Repair measures

During fire prevention efforts, several parts of the area had to be modified into fire breaks known as dozer lines and hand lines. These act as roadblocks, making it difficult for the fire to cross if it were to reach that point. Teams are now working to repair these lines to protect and preserve the soil in the area from erosion and weeds that would make the newly opened area their home.

Park reopening

The official also said that the park would remain closed until they can guarantee the safety of visitors by ensuring that no one wanders off designated trails, making sure areas are safe if people do wander off-trail, and putting in measures like extra fencing.

As of Monday, there is no timeline for when they expect the park to be open again, but county officials said they believe they will have a better estimate once they have completed their trail damage assessment, which has been pushed back in priority to focus on the repair of fire breaking lines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.