From the Town of South Fork Town of South Fork begins re-entry • South Fork, CO June 28, 2013: Some Evacuations Lifted In West Fork Fire • Fire is Still Active, Re-evacuation Possible • For more fire information: 719.569.4149 • 6/28/2013 6:15 PM (South Fork, CO)The Town of South Fork and some areas along Highways 160 and 149 have reopened to residents and public. Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass remains closed at the intersection of 160 and County Road 20, west of South Fork. Travel to Creede is still restricted but pilot cars leave regularly from checkpoints on Highway 149. Some areas along Highway 149 west of the river or the highway, remain under a mandatory evacuation. • Rio Grande County Sheriff Brian Norton, the fire’s Incident Management Team (Pete Blume, Incident Commander) and mayor of South Fork, Kenny Brooke are cooperating to reopen some areas but cannot over stress the continuing danger posed by these fires. In addition to extreme fire behavior Thursday, there continues to be heavy smoke and emergency vehicle traffic. Residents and visitors are asked to monitor local news and be prepared to evacuate again quickly if conditions change. In addition, everyone is asked to drive below the speed limit and have their lights on. Do not stop on the side of the road to take pictures of the fire or firefighters. • Mayor Brooke stated. “We are a small community but this has shown the strength and cooperation of not only our fire department and law enforcement but our entire community. My heart goes out especially to those who have been evacuated. Our main focus is to get individuals back into their homes safely.” • The American Red Cross is distributing clean-up kits to people affected by the West Fork fire as they return home today. The supplies will help them clean up smoke, spoiled food and other damage to their homes caused by as a result the fire. Red Cross licensed mental health workers will also staff several locations to help residents cope with the disaster and provide them with recovery information. • The Red Cross will distribute clean-up kits at the following locations: Friday, June 28 & 29: South Fork Visitors Center, at the intersection of Highways 160 and 149 – 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Saturday, June 29: Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, 904 S. Main St., Creede – from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The clean-up kits include brooms, mops, bleach, work gloves, masks, buckets , sponges and other items useful for cleaning up after a disaster. Red Cross mental health workers will be available at a community disaster assistance center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, June 28, at the County Annex building, 965 6th St., in Del Norte, and will provide emotional support as well as informational resources for people affected by the wildfires. The Red Cross shelter at Del Norte High School, 1055 9th St., Del Norte, remains open. Last night, 61 evacuees registered at the shelter. Mayor Brooke stated, “We must reiterate that this is an active fire zone. You are voluntarily returning to an active fire zone and are responsible for your own safety. The fire is still dangerous and the area is still in pre-evacuation status and you could be asked to evacuate again. Be ready to act quickly!” TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. If you return home and you do not feel safe, leave. For Rio Grande County Evacuation Changes please see riograndecounty.org Please call 719.569.4149 for more information about the fire and evacuations.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 23:25:33 +0000