Firefighters continue suppressing the Ute 63 Fire, burning on Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribal and private land near Hesperus, Colo. Due to the team’s persistence and favorable weather, the fire footprint remained at 530 acres and 34% containment. As fire activity subsides, the incident is releasing personnel – currently, 311 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to the fire. On Monday, a Hotshot crew focused on mopping up and locating and mitigating hot spots along the north edge of the fire. Other crews assisted fire suppression efforts along the southwest boundary.
Air and ground operations work together, determining the best strategies to meet unique incident objectives. On Monday, Air Operations deployed an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), an invaluable tool available to wildland firefighting. The UAS is a cost-effective way to collect infrared data, which maps heat sources across a large area. This information is used to assign firefighters to crucial locations.
Today’s goal remains the same: to keep the fire firmly within its current boundaries. Temperature forecasts are stable through Thursday, but humidity will progressively drop through the end of this week. Firefighters continue mop-up operations along the perimeter. Repair crews are working diligently to restore any roads damaged in the fire suppression efforts.
La Plata County remains under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions; for details, visit https://www.lpcgov.org/departments/emergency_management/fire_restrictions.php. The Ute 63 Fire is producing relatively little smoke; smoke in the area is also coming from other fires in the region. For air quality information, visit https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/justice-and-regulatory/epd/air-quality/ambient-monitoring/ and https://fire.airnow.gov.
Ute 63 Fire Public Information Office – 2025.ute63@firenet.gov
To report fires, please contact:
Durango Zone Dispatch: (970) 385-1324
Southern Ute Police Dispatch: (970) 563-4401
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Photo 1: The Flathead Hotshot Crew traveled from Montana to aid in the firefighting efforts on the Ute 63 Fire, July 21, 2025. Credit: Ute 63 Fire Information Office
Photo 2: Pilots launch an unmanned aircraft system for an infrared flight, July 21, 2025. Credit: Ute 63 Fire Information Office.
