Montrose County, Colorado The South Rim Wildfire, which was started by lightning strikes on July 10, is still active in Gunnison National Park’s Black Canyon.
The park is actively collaborating with local, state, and federal partners to contain the fire and examine any post-fire consequences.
Visitors are still not permitted in the park until further notice, and drinking water supplies have not been adversely impacted. As of July 21, a crew of hydrologists and soil scientists from the United States Forest Service and the Department of the Interior were conducting evaluations to examine the possibility of debris flow and sedimentation affecting water quality.
When conditions permit, a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will investigate post-fire risks such as debris flow, danger trees, effects on recreation, animals, vegetation, flooding, hazardous materials, and historic and cultural sites.
BAER members come from the US Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Weather Service.
