Special notes: Today at 6 a.m. the Type 1 Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team officially took over the Burro Fire.

Weather: Tomorrow will stay warm and dry with temps 78-85 at the 416 Fire and 75-81 at the Burro Fire. Relative humidity remains as low as 6% in both locations with winds gusting up to 25 mph after 1 p.m. Later this week, there is potential for isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

Current Situation: Branch I of the 416 Fire includes Divisions H, D, and A: In Division H, on the west side, the fire is behaving as predicted and will continue growing as it moves into heavier fuels. This area is being monitored from the air.

Smoke and flames could be seen today as burning operations took place in Divisions D and A in Lower Hermosa. Both aircraft and ground crews worked in the area. Firefighters are constructing line from the cliff face near Hermosa Creek southward to Tripp Gulch. This burnout operation allows crews to create a protected area; it will already be burned when fire reaches it. Helicopters drop water during these burnout operations; the water decreases fire intensity, providing for more control. Firefighters continue putting structure protection measures in place in Divisions D and A. Burnout operations will continue into the early hours of the morning.

Branch III of the 416 Fire includes Divisions Z, Y, and X: In Division Y, there were some water bucket drops to cool the northernmost part of the fire. Overall, fire behavior was light in Division Y, and there was no fire activity in Division Z today. Along US 550, crews are mopping up around burnout areas and assessing for any further needs.

In Division X, the line around Purgatory Resort is complete, and this area is prepped for burnout and structure protection if it should be needed.

Branch II is the Burro Fire: The Burro fire has grown to 2684 acres and is moving in a northeastern direction. The Burro fire is in steep, rugged terrain, and fire managers are scouting the area for opportunities to mitigate the spread. They are currently working a dozer line on the south side.

Note: Residents should be aware they will continue seeing smoke and smoldering in burned areas inside the fire perimeter.

Special Closure Alert: A stage 3 fire restriction will go into place tomorrow, June 12, at 12:01 a.m. for the entire San Juan National Forest. This means that all public access to the Forest, including trails and roads, is prohibited.

Closures and Public Safety: Highway 550 will be closed tomorrow, June 12, from mile marker to 32 to 64. For up to date information on road closures visit www.cotrip.org. Evacuations are in place for several areas in the fire vicinity. For up to date information on the status of evacuations, please contact the La Plata County Emergency Operations Center at 970-385-8700 or visit www.co.laplata.co.us.

Special note: There are still countless recreational opportunities available and southwestern Colorado is open for business. Please see these websites for tourism and recreational opportunities: La Plata County: https://www.colorado.com/association/la-plata-county Official Durango Tourism site: https://www.durango.org/ Durango Business Improvement District http://downtowndurango.org/ San Juan County: http://www.sanjuancountycolorado.us/index.html Silverton, CO Chamber of Commerce: http://www.silvertoncolorado.com/

Fire Statistics: Location: 13 miles north of Durango, CO. Start Date: June 1, 2018. Size: 416 Fire: 20,131 acres. Burro: 2684. Percent Contained: 15 (415 Fire). Total Personnel: 917 Cause: Under Investigation. Resources Include: 9 Type 1 hand crews, 11 Type 2 hand crews, 44 engines, 5 dozers, 4 water tenders. Helicopters: Four Type 1, two Type 2, and two Type 3.