With methodical tenacity, firefighters continue the work of suppressing the Ute 63 Fire, burning on Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribal and private land near Hesperus, Colo. The fire is now mapped at 530 acres and is 34% contained; field observers walked the fireline and confirmed the reduction in reported acreage. Crews worked Sunday to secure containment lines and aggressively search for remaining hot spots through a process called mop-up. Mop-up requires firefighters to sift through the earth looking and feeling for pockets of heat in the soil which could flare up and reignite the fire. When heat is discovered, firefighters dig it out and cool it down with water from backpack pumps, hoses, or even helicopters.  Today, the 345 firefighters and support personnel assigned to the Ute 63 Fire are expecting more favorable conditions, with cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and a chance of rain. An Interagency Hotshot Crew will work the fire’s northern edge in Morgan Canyon while other crews extend water systems along the fire’s southern edge – all with the goal of keeping the fire firmly within current lines. Firefighters continue to cold-trail along all of the fire’s edges and patrol for any indications of heat.   […]