A fire burning in a remote and rugged area of Dinosaur National Monument continues to be actively monitored. The Split Fire was discovered on June 26th in steep, mountainous terrain at 7000 feet on the north side of Split Mountain near Rainbow Park. Upon detection, the fire was estimated at a quarter of an acre and as of an update provided on July 3rd, it has grown to 37 acres. “Due to the hazardous conditions for firefighters and minimal risk of spread, firefighters have been actively monitoring the fire,” shares the latest update. “Because of its location there is limited threat to people or structures. Five firefighters are currently assigned to the fire.” Majority of the spread occurred during dry and windy conditions in the days after its ignition but it has only grown 1 acre since Monday, June 28th. The weather could cause another jump in size as the forecast calls for windy conditions into this week. “If the fire moves down-slope to the south, we will begin utilizing direct and indirect tactics where firefighters can access the fire with less risk.” shares Incident Commander Charlie Reynar. Smoke may continue to be visible for a long distance and visitors can especially expect to see smoke while recreating in the Island Park area. Unless conditions change, officials anticipate this to be the last update on the Split Fire.
