News
South Rim Fire Stalls Containment Crews as Rugged Terrain, Heat Slow Progress
<h2 data-start="382" data-end="504">4,200+ acres scorched in Black Canyon’s South Rim; officials brace for long road ahead as park access remains uncertain</h2>
<p data-start="506" data-end="763">Firefighters knew right away this wasn’t going to be a quick one. When the South Rim Fire first sparked from a lightning strike on July 10, responders in Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison quickly realized they were in for a fight. And not an easy one.</p>
<p data-start="765" data-end="992">It’s been over a week, and the fire has already burned through 4,227 acres — including a major portion of the park’s most visited area. Containment? Only 14% as of Friday, with more dry days and gusty afternoons on the horizon.</p>
<h2 data-start="994" data-end="1028">Crews Scramble to Hold the Line</h2>
<p data-start="1030" data-end="1156">Rusty Stark, the District Fire Management Officer for the Bureau of Land Management’s Southwest District, didn’t sugarcoat it.</p>
<p data-start="1158" data-end="1325">“You know, when we’re running retardant right out the gate — it becomes pretty obvious,” he said. “It was beyond our capabilities within the first operational period.”</p>
<p data-start="1327" data-end="1494">That’s not a small admission. But when you look at what they&#8217;re up against — the cliffs, the heat, the logistics — it&#8217;s no surprise they called in reinforcements fast.</p>
<p data-start="1496" data-end="1546">457 personnel are now on the scene. That includes:</p>
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<p data-start="1550" data-end="1611">5 aircraft, dropping retardant and scouting fire movement</p>
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<p data-start="1614" data-end="1653">22 engines, tackling the frontlines</p>
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<p data-start="1656" data-end="1736">15 heavy equipment units, clearing defensible space and creating fire breaks</p>
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<p data-start="1738" data-end="1758">But it’s slow going.</p>
<p data-start="1738" data-end="1758"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14009" src="https://budgyapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/south-rim-fire-black-canyon-2025-containment-update.jpg" alt="south-rim-fire-black-canyon-2025-containment-update" width="614" height="441" /></p>
<h2 data-start="1760" data-end="1788">South Rim Takes the Brunt</h2>
<p data-start="1790" data-end="1960">Here’s the twist: although only about 12% of the entire park has burned, nearly 80% of the South Rim — the section with the highest visitor traffic — is scorched.</p>
<p data-start="1962" data-end="2040">Park Superintendent Stuart West said it straight: the fire hit where it hurts.</p>
<p data-start="2042" data-end="2201">This isn&#8217;t just a remote canyon slope nobody hikes. It&#8217;s the place families stop for photos. The overlooks. The campsites. The heart of the visitor experience.</p>
<p data-start="2203" data-end="2227">And now, it’s blackened.</p>
<p data-start="2229" data-end="2290">One official described the area as “unrecognizable in spots.”</p>
<h2 data-start="2292" data-end="2319">Why Terrain Is the Enemy</h2>
<p data-start="2321" data-end="2402">Deputy Incident Commander Jay Miller didn’t mince words about the biggest hurdle.</p>
<p data-start="2404" data-end="2515">“The steepness, the terrain, the rocks, the cliffs — we just can’t put boots in some of these places,” he said.</p>
<p data-start="2517" data-end="2706">That means certain flanks of the fire are essentially unreachable. Crews have to work around them or try to box them in. And when the wind kicks up? Those boxed-in areas can blow wide open.</p>
<p data-start="2708" data-end="2766">The terrain here isn’t just inconvenient — it’s dangerous.</p>
<p data-start="2768" data-end="2846">In some areas, rolling a boulder could spark more flame than a lightning bolt.</p>
<p data-start="2848" data-end="2947">One firefighter described a section of the ridge as “like walking on broken glass — only vertical.”</p>
<h2 data-start="2949" data-end="2997">Cost Climbing Fast: $6.2 Million and Counting</h2>
<p data-start="2999" data-end="3051">It’s not just flames they’re battling. It’s dollars.</p>
<p data-start="3053" data-end="3130">So far, the South Rim Fire has cost $6.2 million, a number that includes:</p>
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<th data-start="3132" data-end="3153" data-col-size="sm">Cost Component</th>
<th data-start="3153" data-end="3176" data-col-size="sm">Estimated Share</th>
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<td data-start="3222" data-end="3243" data-col-size="sm">Firefighting Labor</td>
<td data-col-size="sm" data-start="3243" data-end="3266">$2.4 million</td>
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<td data-start="3267" data-end="3290" data-col-size="sm">Equipment &; Aircraft</td>
<td data-col-size="sm" data-start="3290" data-end="3311">$1.8 million</td>
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<td data-start="3312" data-end="3335" data-col-size="sm">Park Resource Damage</td>
<td data-col-size="sm" data-start="3335" data-end="3356">$1.2 million</td>
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<td data-start="3357" data-end="3377" data-col-size="sm">Incident Overhead</td>
<td data-col-size="sm" data-start="3377" data-end="3400">$800,000</td>
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<p data-start="3402" data-end="3523">Funding is being split between the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Montrose County.</p>
<p data-start="3525" data-end="3626">That doesn’t include indirect economic costs — like lost tourism revenue or future restoration needs.</p>
<p data-start="3628" data-end="3710">And you can bet it’ll go up. Fires don’t get cheaper as they get deeper into July.</p>
<h2 data-start="3712" data-end="3746">Reopening Timeline? No Promises</h2>
<p data-start="3748" data-end="3888">As for when Black Canyon will reopen to the public — don’t hold your breath. Superintendent West said it&#8217;s just too early to set a timeline.</p>
<p data-start="3890" data-end="4002">Any reopening will happen in stages, he confirmed, and likely won’t include the full South Rim anytime soon.</p>
<p data-start="4004" data-end="4037">There are just too many unknowns:</p>
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<p data-start="4041" data-end="4057">Hidden hot spots</p>
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<p data-start="4060" data-end="4076">Unstable terrain</p>
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<p data-start="4079" data-end="4125">Safety hazards near burnt structures and trees</p>
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<p data-start="4127" data-end="4225">One ranger said the soil is so scorched in some places, it “crumbles under your boots like toast.”</p>
<h2 data-start="4227" data-end="4257">Community Watches and Waits</h2>
<p data-start="4259" data-end="4498">Residents in nearby Montrose are keeping a close eye on the smoke columns. Luckily, no homes have been threatened so far. But the canyon draws in thousands of visitors each year, and the fire is already putting a dent in the local economy.</p>
<p data-start="4500" data-end="4569">Several small business owners say July bookings have dropped sharply.</p>
<p data-start="4571" data-end="4728">One café owner near the park entrance told us, “Usually this time of year we’re slammed with hikers and campers. Now it’s just firefighters grabbing coffee.”</p>
<p data-start="4730" data-end="4856">There’s also emotional impact. For locals who’ve spent decades hiking or working in the park, watching it burn is a gut punch.</p>
<h2 data-start="4858" data-end="4907">Weather Could Turn the Tide — Or Make It Worse</h2>
<p data-start="4909" data-end="4951">Forecasts for the weekend are a mixed bag.</p>
<p data-start="4953" data-end="5143">Temperatures will stay high — hovering in the 90s — with occasional wind gusts from the southwest. There’s a slight chance of thunderstorms by Sunday, but that could either help or backfire.</p>
<p data-start="5145" data-end="5253">Dry lightning is still a risk. And sudden downdrafts can scatter embers into untouched areas. It’s a gamble.</p>
<p data-start="5255" data-end="5384">As one crew chief put it, “We’re watching the sky like hawks right now. If it shifts the wrong way, it’ll be another long night.”</p>