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Drone Incursion Halts Gold Mountain Fire Air Operations as Containment Holds at 13%
Description: The Gold Mountain Fire reached 37,809 acres and remains 13% contained after an unauthorized drone temporarily grounded aircraft near Ouray...
Gold Mountain Fire Update - July 19, 2026
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2
Incident Commander Rodney Redinger
Size: 37,809 acres | Containment: 13% | Cause: Undetermined | Start Date: June 27, 2026 @ 5:33p.m.
Location: Approx. 2 miles NE of Ouray, CO | Total Personnel: 992
Safety Message: Storms in the West can develop quickly. Localized thunderstorms can produce flash floods within minutes, especially after heavy rain in steep terrain. These areas are already prone to flooding, even in drainages that did not receive fire. Burned soil forces rainwater to run off very fast, and debris and ash left from the fire can form hazardous mudflows. “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”: Driving into floodwater is extremely dangerous – 12 inches of moving water can sweep away a vehicle, and 6 inches can sweep away a person.
Current Conditions: An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) incursion into the temporary flight restriction (TFR) area for the Gold Mountain Fire temporarily halted air operations across the incident. When this occurs, all official aircraft must cease operations. “If You Fly, We Can’t”: You can find more information on TFR boundaries at tfr.faa.gov.
Firefighter traffic remains heavy near the northern entrances to the fire perimeter. Logging trucks are also active as crews remove felled hazard trees along Forest Road 858 toward Silver Jack Reservoir.
In parts of the fire perimeter, crews have exceeded expectations and anticipate finishing assigned containment lines a full day ahead of schedule. As fire activity continues to cool in the southwest area where containment is already in place, resources are shifting into standby for initial attack across the planning area
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Weather and Fire Behavior: As storms travel through the planning and working area associated with managing the fire perimeter, measured rain totals vary. Drier air masses will result in fewer afternoon storms through Monday. Although storms are increasing soil and fine fuels moisture, logs and heavier fuels remain exceptionally dry – significant long-term precipitation is necessary to restore moisture to these fuel loads. Lightning, brief heavy rains and strong gusting winds remain big concerns for safety. In response to monsoonal weather patterns, the potential for large wildfire growth is gradually decreasing.
Air Quality – Scan the QR code at the top for the link to the current Gold Mountain Fire Smoke Outlook report.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): To get the exact restricted airspace over the Gold Mountain Fire, go to: tfr.faa.gov on the web. The NOTAM Number is FDC 6/5451.
#goldmountainfire Information
Phone: (970) 355-3286 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Email: 2026.goldmountain@firenet.gov
Facebook: Gold Mountain Fire
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@goldmountainfire
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