MONUMENT — Command of the Courtrock Fire will be handed off to a smaller incident management team as containment increases and work on the fire winds down, fire managers said in an update on Monday, Aug. 12.

The fire, which is burning south of Monument and west of Long Creek, continues to hold at just over 20,000 acres and is now 97% contained. A total of 262 personnel are assigned to the blaze.

Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2 will hand over management of the Courtrock Fire to High Desert Interagency Incident Management Team at 6 p.m. Monday. The team, led by Incident Commander Chris Cook, is a smaller incident management organization known as a Type 3 team.

The leadership of Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2 expressed its thanks to the communities in Morrow and Grant counties for their patience and strong support.

Although a transfer of command will take place, fire objectives remain the same, officials said. Fire crews will patrol and monitor the fire’s edge and be available for any new fire starts, as needed. Firefighters will also conduct suppression repair, where necessary.

On the east side of the fire, there are standing, half-burned fuels susceptible to reburning, also known as a dirty burn, located in steep terrain. This area is difficult to reach and presents a hazard to firefighters. That area will continue to be patrolled.

As advised, smoke and fire glow will be visible in neighboring communities, especially during the evenings. The unburned fuels need to be consumed; it is likely the remaining interior pockets that are holding heat and producing smoke will continue to do so until a significant weather change occurs in the area. The public should not call 911 for smoke coming from the interior of the Courtrock Fire.

Weather: On Monday there will be a 20% chance of showers before 11 a.m. and in the evening, with a chance of thunderstorms. Widespread haze after 11 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Monday evening, partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm overnight.

Closures: Driving in or visiting the areas affected by Courtrock Fire is a violation against a Forest Service closure order. Please wait to visit until the closure order is lifted, which means the area has been stabilized.

Evacuations/Shelters/Closures: Level 1 evacuations are in effect for some areas.

For Grant County evacuation updates, visit the Grant County Emergency Management Office’s Facebook page, or sign up for the Grant County Emergency Alert System.

The U.S. Forest Service has closures for the Malheur National Forest.

Fire Information: 541-208-4369 from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. – 2024.courtrock@firenet.gov

Acres: 20,019 acres

Start Date: July 21

Cause: Lightning

Fuels: Timber, grass, brush

Containment: 97%

Personnel: 262