Gold Mountain Fire Remains 87% Contained as Hot, Dry Weather Brings More Visible Smoke Near Ouray

Description: The Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray remains 39,691 acres and 87% contained. Hotter, drier weather may increase visible smoke as crews target hot spots on Cimarron Ridge and nearby drainages...


Published: 08/18/2026
Byline: SECO News

Fire Update – Gold Mountain Fire
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
 
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2
Rodney Redinger, Incident Commander
 
Information Phone: 970-355-3286
Email: 2026.goldmountain@firenet.gov
Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
 
Size: 39,691 acres | Containment: 87% | Cause: Undetermined | Start Date: June 27, 2026 @ 5:33 p.m. | Location: Approx. 2 miles NE of Ouray, CO | Total Personnel: 95
 
Safety Message: Fire area closures remain in effect to protect firefighter safety and allow crews to focus on suppression and fire management operations. When members of the public enter the fire area, it creates additional safety challenges for firefighters and can distract crews from the mission at hand. Many of the roads in the fire area are being used by fire resources. Increased public traffic on these roads can create congestion, slow the movement of emergency resources, and increase the potential for vehicle accidents. Keeping the fire area closed helps ensure firefighters and emergency personnel can safely and efficiently carry out their work.
 
Current Situation: As days become hotter and drier, with little precipitation in the forecast, the public may see more smoke from the fire area. This is expected and can help crews identify areas that are still holding heat. As hot spots emerge near the fireline, firefighters will locate and extinguish burning logs, trees, stumps, and brush.
 
Yesterday was another full day of productive work on Cimarron Ridge and along the East Fork. Crews were assisted by aviation for approximately 10 hours. Helicopters moved 6,800 pounds of cargo and dropped 15,000 gallons of water on the fire.
 
A 20-person handcrew spiked out, or camped near the fireline on Cimarron Ridge, to remain close to the fire and reduce the time and distance needed to hike into the fire area. The crew also improved the helispot on the ridge to support operational and safety needs. Today, the crew will continue working along the fire’s edge, extinguishing burning logs, trees, and brush. Aviation will again assist crews with their work. Similar to the crew working on Cimarron Ridge, the two Wildland Fire Modules assigned to the East and Middle Forks will continue searching for and extinguishing hot spots in the Middle and East Forks. Crews will also construct fireline between the two forks to prevent fire in the valley from spreading north.
 
Weather and Fire Behavior: The persistent high pressure in the morning will move out of the area as a system from the northwest pushes in, bringing some clouds. Relative humidity will be very low, and humidity recovery overnight will also be very poor. The fire behavior will remain minimal; however, smoke will likely be visible across the fire area today.
 
Closure Orders: Closure orders are still in effect throughout areas of the Gold Mountain Fire, including Owl Pass Road. For current closure information, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../gold-mountain-wildfire-area....
 
No Fly Zone: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the Gold Mountain and Elk Fire areas is in effect. Flying drones near the fire is prohibited and can interfere with firefighting aircraft, potentially grounding aerial suppression operations. For more information on safe drone operations, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org. For information on the TFR, visit https://tfr.faa.gov.
 
For More Information:
Information Phone: 970-355-3286
Email: 2026.goldmountain@firenet.gov
 


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