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Evacuations ordered as 600-acre wildfire burns north of Pagosa Springs Airport

Officials said the fire grew overnight
Plumtaw Fire near Pagosa Springs_U.S. Forest Service May 17 2022
Plumtaw Fire San Juan National Forest
Posted at 3:24 PM, May 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-18 09:52:01-04

PAGOSA SPRNGS, Colo. — A 600-acre wildfire is burning about five miles northwest of Pagosa Springs Airport, forcing evacuations of a nearby neighborhood, according to officials with the San Juan National Forest.

Residents in the Lost Valley of the San Juans neighborhood on 4 Mile Road in Mineral County are now under an evacuation notice for this fire, which has been named the Plumtaw Fire. The Emergency Operations Center can be reached at 970-422-7084 for evacuation information.

The fire did grow overnight, reaching 4 Mile Road on the east boundary, according to the InciWeb page for the Plumtaw Fire. Further details on exactly how much it grew were not immediately available.

The map below shows where the fire was burning as of 5 p.m.

It was first reported around 1 p.m.

The Plumtaw Fire is burning two miles west of the intersection of Plumtaw Road and 4 Mile Road and 4.75 miles northwest of Pagosa Springs Airport, according to the Forest Service.

Air resources, including five large airtankers and multiple helicopters, and ground resources are at the scene.

Joe Darr_Plumtaw Fire_May 17 2022

The fire is burning in ponderosa pine, gambel oak and mixed conifer forest, according to the Forest Service.

The cause of the Plumtaw Fire is under investigation.

The San Juan National Forest is planning to enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions no later than May 25, the Forest Service said Tuesday evening.

This is a developing story and will be updated.