South Rim Fire Information

08/04/2025

This will be the final post about the on this page. The South Rim Fire is now in a patrol and monitor status under the command of a Type 4 incident management team. Fire activity remains isolated to interior pockets and inaccessible areas. Fire behavior is limited to smoldering and creeping, and poses very little risk of spread outside the current fire footprint. For information about the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, please call the Park Headquarters at 970-641-2337. You can also go to their website at www.nps.gov/blca/ or email [email protected].

Big enough to be overwhelming, yet still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time. Come see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. Forces of nature and the Gunnison River sculpted this canyon over two million years. The result is a vertical wilderness of ro...

08/03/2025

Our firefighters spotted a herd of deer in the area at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We thank them for sharing their precious experience with us, so we can share it with you! It's heartwarming to see wildlife return after fire. The deer love to eat the fresh green shoots that thrive after a low to moderate severity burn. Edit to add: They have access to plenty of food and are not in any danger.

08/02/2025

We keep mentioning backhaul, what is it? Every piece of the fire suppression equipment used during a fire needs to be packed up and hauled out of the fire area to a staging area where it can be cleaned, properly packaged, and shipped back to the regional fire cache to be made available for other fires in the region. As the fire winds down and the risk of spread is minimized, crews work to recover and remove the equipment they used during the firefight. That equipment includes portable water tanks, hoses, fittings, sprinklers, fuel, and pumps. Once it gets to base camp or staging, a Camp Crew works to clean it up, organize it, palletize it, and prep it for shipment. This happens on every fire that uses more than just local resources. Backhaul recovery keeps valuable firefighting gear available for the next fire.

08/02/2025

Update and Map for Aug 2, 2025
Size: 4,232 acres
Total Personnel: 47
Containment: 52 %
Cause: Lightning

The Type 3 Incident Management Team is being shadowed today by a Type 4 Incident Commander to ensure a smooth transition to a smaller organization. The transfer of command will take place at 7:00 am on Sunday August 3rd. Fire activity remains isolated to interior pockets and inaccessible areas. Fire behavior is limited to smoldering and creeping. Backhaul of fire suppression equipment is nearly complete. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is working to identify and prioritize tasks needing to be done in order to make the South Rim safe for visitors again.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Bureau of Land Management - Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Montrose County Sheriff's Office
Montrose County - Government
West Slope Fire Info
Gunnison County Emergency Management
Delta County Emergency Management

08/01/2025

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has installed a Purple Air Monitor in the Park to check the air quality. This data is available to the public in real time 24/7 by visiting the link below. Just click the photo to be directed to the site!

Watch: With two minute updates, The US EPA PM2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number used by US government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.

07/31/2025

Portions of the received heavy wind, hail, and lightning this afternoon.

07/31/2025

The impacted the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park land and facilities with varying degrees of intensity. Park staff are now in the process of identifying and prioritizing tasks needing to be done to make it safe for the public again. Some infrastructure, such as the Visitor's Center, employee housing, and East Portal facilities were completely untouched. Other facilities, including some vault toilets, trails and campgrounds, were heavily impacted and will require considerable work to restore and rebuild. The following photos give a sneak peak into the Park, post-fire. Click on the photo for a brief description.

07/31/2025

Daily Update and Map for July 31, 2025
Size: 4,232 acres
Total Personnel: 84
Containment: 52 %
Cause: Lightning
Resources: 1 aircraft | 2 crews | 3 engines | 7 heavy equipment

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Bureau of Land Management - Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Montrose County Sheriff's Office
Montrose County - Government
West Slope Fire Info
Gunnison County Emergency Management
Delta County Emergency Management

07/30/2025

Read below for an update on evacuation orders for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park per the Montrose County Sheriff's Office. Reminder- The South Rim of the Black Canyon remains closed.

UPDATED - South Rim Fire Map

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The Montrose County Sheriff's Office has lifted all Evacuation warnings associated with the South Rim Fire, including Bostwick Road area and the lands on the North Rim of the Black Canyon.

Reminder- The South Rim of the Black Canyon remains closed.

07/30/2025

Visitors to the North Rim of the Black Canyon may notice what looks like smoke when they gaze over the Canyon towards the South Rim. Look closely! What you're seeing is more likely dust devils. Ash, soot, and loose soil from the is being stirred up by air currents. It might look like smoke at first but, as you watch, you'll see that they migrate across the landscape.

There is some smoke showing periodically from the East Portal Road area. It'll be more white/gray than the dust devils, and it'll stay in one place. Visit the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park to see for yourselves!

Please don't call 911 or dispatch to report any smoke or dust devils you might see across the canyon. Fire personnel remain on site and are monitoring the situation.

07/30/2025

Daily Update and Map for July 30, 2025
Size: 4,232 acres
Total Personnel: 95
Containment: 52 %
Cause: Lightning

Resources: 1 aircraft | 2 crews | 3 engines | 11 heavy equipment

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Bureau of Land Management - Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Montrose County Sheriff's Office
Montrose County - Government
West Slope Fire Info
Gunnison County Emergency Management
Delta County Emergency Management