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Gold Mountain Fire Grows to 36,965 Acres, Reaches 12% Containment Near Ouray
Description: The Gold Mountain Fire reached 36,965 acres and 12% containment July 14 as crews reinforced firelines, protected structures and monitored thunderstorms and gusty winds...
Gold Mountain Fire Update – July 14, 2026
Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 2
Rodney Redinger, Incident Commander
Fire Information: 970-355-3286 Operational Hours: 8am-8pm
Size: 36,965 acres | Containment: 12% | Cause: Undetermined | Start Date: June 27, 2026 @ 5:33 p.m.
Location: Approx. 2 miles NE of Ouray, CO | Total Personnel: 981
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) 2 took command of the fire this morning at 6:00 a.m. The team spent yesterday with their counterparts from Rocky Mountain CIMT 3 to become orientated with the landscape and discuss current strategic suppression tactics and those proposed for the future to ensure a seamless transition and continuity of operations.
Safety Message: Sections of the Hwy 550 corridor are posted with reduced speed limits due to the amount of firefighter traffic along this route. Taking it a little slower will help to keep our firefighters and the public safe, always our primary objective.
Current Conditions: Work along the 550 corridor just above the town of Ridgway and north to the Division break near Cow Creek will continue as crews identify and extinguish areas of residual heat to reinforce fire lines and clean around structures. Crews will also mop up and reinforce firelines from yesterday’s firing operations from Nate Creek to Lou Creek to help protect structures in the area.
As firefighters construct fire lines, they are connecting old roadbeds, meadows, rock outcrops, and other natural features that provide a break in fuels. The fire has spread into the West Fork of the Cimarron and spotted over the Middle Fork and into the East Fork of the Cimarron. A fire line was constructed and crews are prepping the line for firing operations to remove fuels and prevent the fire from spreading further to the north. Firing operations will occur as conditions allow. As primary indirect confinement lines are constructed and reinforced, firefighters are scouting locations to build secondary indirect lines as a backup.
Crews continue to assess, implement, and reinforce structure protection to the west and north of the fire perimeter. Structure protection crews are assessing structures throughout the area north of Silver Jack Lake.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Expect lower temperatures and higher relative humidity as monsoonal moisture increases. Thunderstorms are anticipated this afternoon that can produce lightning, erratic winds, and 40-45 mph gusts.
Air Quality – Scan the QR code at the top of the picture of the update for the link to the current Gold Mountain Fire Smoke Outlook report.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov
#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
Afternoon Operations Update: Operations on the #GoldMountainFire continue as planned today with no significant changes.
As temperatures continue to warm this afternoon, expect cumulus clouds to continue to build over the fire area, bringing an increasing potential for thunderstorms. Any storms that develop may produce frequent lightning, gusty and erratic outflow winds, and brief rain.
Lightning can ignite new fires, while strong, shifting winds have the potential to rapidly influence fire behavior and create challenging conditions for firefighters. An Initial Attack Group remains assigned and ready to respond to any new fire starts.
Fire managers are closely monitoring today's weather and will adjust tactics as needed to keep firefighters and the public safe.
Photos show clouds beginning to build over the fire area, along with current smoke conditions near the Incident Command Post, courtesy of the Gold Mountain Fire.
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