Dolores County Office of Emergency Management

08/17/2026

One more Ferris Fire update: Congratulations on your nomination for the 2026 CMC Valor Award Dolores County SAR!

08/01/2026

Cross Canyon Fire Update:
Good News and a Cross Canyon Fire Sunset Photo to show it.

Crews worked yesterday and last night and made remarkable progress.

A BLM type four incident command is in charge of this fire currently and it’s being handled by a type two BLM team and the Dove Creek volunteer fire department-who have been on this fire since it was discovered. A type one helicopter is also reserved if needed. It is looking like the acreage is more along the lines of 125-ish acres and the crews expect to have the fire fully contained and knocked down by this evening, August 1. Crossing fingers.

08/01/2026

LARGE FIRE ON SQUAW PT, DOLORES COUNTY RESIDENTS NEAR CR 3.7/CR V BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE EVACUATION NOTICES. PREPARE YOUR HOME, ANIMALS AND BELONGINGS FOR POSSIBLE EVACUATION NOTICES

07/31/2026

NEW FIRE START - Cross Canyon Fire, Dolores County, CO
Near CR 2.7 and CR V. DCVFD, DC Road and Bridge, BLM and several Large Air Tankers are currently working this fire. 2 homes have been evacuated at this time near Squaw Canyon. Now over 150ac. (Picture is from Benchmark)

07/29/2026

BLM re-opening of Ferris Closures. See below.

Tres Rios Field Office
Pursuant to Title 43 CFR 9212.2(a), the temporary emergency closure order issued June 30,
2026, and amended July 2, July 10, and July 21, 2026, is hereby terminated, lifting the remaining
emergency closure on Bureau of Land Management-administered public lands associated with
the Ferris Fire effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The areas reopened include all
BLM-administered public lands south of Dolores County Road 9.7, east of State Highway 491,
west of the Dolores River Canyon, and north of the Dolores County Road T, including the
Bradfield Bridge Recreation Site. All public lands previously closed under the June 30, 2026,
emergency closure order, as amended, are reopened to public entry and use.
This order is effective immediately.
Executed in Dolores, Colorado, on this day of July 29, 2026.
Derek Padilla
Field Manager
Tres Rios Field Office
Bureau of Land
Management

07/28/2026

Good news

🔥 FIRE RESTRICTION & CLOSURE UPDATE🔥

Conditions have improved & the Ferris Fire is nearing full containment, allowing the BLM to ease fire restrictions & reopen most previously closed public lands in the Tres Rios Field Office.

Effective immediately:
➡️ Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are lifted
➡️ Stage 1 Fire Restrictions remain in effect through Dec 31, 2026 or until rescinded.
➡️ Most Ferris Fire emergency closure areas on BLM public lands in Dolores County are now reopened

A smaller closure remains in place around the Dolores River Canyon & Bradfield Bridge Rec Site to support ongoing fire management & protect public/firefighter safety.

⚠️Fire danger still exists⚠️
Use caution, follow current restrictions & do your part to prevent human-caused wildfires.

For current fire restrictions/closure info/maps:
https://ow.ly/nPmh50ZrrUC

07/22/2026

07/17/2026

Nice work, Mitch. A very good read.

What will happen immediately after the fire fighters contain the Ferris Fire? A stabilization team (BAER) will evaluate the burn scar. This team will evaluate burned landscapes and prescribe and implement emergency treatments. They will evaluate threats to human life, safety, property, and critical natural resources. Environmental crews will install emergency protection devices as seen on pipelines and construction jobs. Now this work by environmental crews can cause delays in roads openings as these devices are installed.
One of the problems the fire will cause is what they call soil water-repellent (hydrophobic) caused by the fires extreme heat as the fire vaporizes organic matter in the top layer of the forest, as these organic gases move deeper into the cooler soil they condense, coating the soil particles in a thin, waxy layer that repels water. Causing the soil to repel water which leads to erosion if heavy rains occur causing flash flooding.
Insignificant amounts of ashes left over from the fire can actually function as a natural fertilizer rich in potassium. Ash primarily consists of organic matter and minerals that plants need. The newly enriched soil is a reason plant life and understory vegetation are able to bounce back so quickly. However excessive ash can dramatically raise soil pH levels making it highly alkaline, which can stress or burn sensitive plants. Heavy blankets of ash on plant leaves can physically clog their pores which interfere with the sunlight absorption and will inhibit the plant’s ability to breathe. If heavy amounts of ash enter the Dolores River it can severely degrade water quality by spiking pH levels and releasing heavy metals and increasing dissolved organic carbon. This can deplete oxygen and physically clog fish gills. This can cause post-fire shock, triggering fish die-offs. One of the reasons why fire retardants are used with caution around rivers and waterways.
Infrastructure and suppression crews will be deployed to fill in dozer lines, repair fire roads, and restore safety zones used during fire fighting operations. Damaged trees will have to be removed, especially ones around roadways where auto traffic exists. Utility companies will have to inspect power poles that may need replaced if damaged during the fire.
So, all said these are just a few actions that will have to be addressed preventing us locals from accessing areas involved in the fire.

07/16/2026

FERRIS FIRE: GREAT NEWS: ALL Zones in the Ferris Fire are moved back to "Ready" Status. Be aware that firefighters are still in the entire area and remain ready as this is still a very severe fire season. At this time, BLM and Forest Service closures are still in place.