As well as three wildfire fighters being killed by the Snyder fire burning near Fruita, Colorado, near the Colorado River, Mesa County Search and Rescue (MCSAR) reported that 120 boaters (and six dogs) were safely evacuated from the popular Ruby-Horsethief Canyon section of the river over the weekend without injury. The evacuations were conducted via motorized boats, trains, and buses.
In what USA Today headlined in a story titled “Bachelorette Apocolypse,” two of the parties evacuated consisted of a girls’ bachelorette party, as well as a guys’ bachelor party — both of which their participants will remember for a long time.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends & colleagues of those who have lost their lives or been injured battling the Snyder Mesa Fire,” the report reads. “As crews from the Mesa County Fire Authority, Bureau of Land Management & U.S. Forest Service worked tirelessly to battle the Snyder Mesa Fire, Mesa County Search and Rescue (MCSAR) was activated to assist with evacuating boaters along the Loma to Westwater section of the Colorado River.Thanks to a massive multi-agency effort, 120 boaters and 6 dogs were safely evacuated from the river corridor without injury.”
Ruby-Horsethief is a popular 27-mile, multi-day float for families on the Colorado River, taking paddlers from Loma to the put-in for Class III-IV Westwater Canyon downstream. But the Snyder Fire, which gained strength from high winds and joined the Knowles Fire (a canyon giving name to one of the run’s popular campsites), forced the evacuation.
“As the fire rapidly spread from the mesa top toward the Colorado River, the decision was made to fully evacuate the river corridor,” the report reads. “With low river levels limiting several traditional evacuation methods, MCSAR requested immediate assistance from the Union Pacific Emergency Operations Center. Union Pacific quickly mobilized all available resources in the area and provided high-rail vehicles.
“With the help of Union Pacific crews & BLM rangers providing fire overwatch, rafters were safely transported from riverside campsites to a rail intersection in Mack, Colorado. From there, MCSAR & MCSO operations staff worked with the Grand Valley Transit Authority to organize emergency bus service, transporting evacuees to the Loma Boat Ramp, the Westwater Ranger Station & an emergency center established at the Lower Valley Fire Department.MCSAR would like to express our profound gratitude for the massive multi-agency effort that ensured the safety of everyone on the river.”
“This successful evacuation would not have been possible without the swift actions of Union Pacific, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Valley Transit, Lower Valley Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Grand Junction Regional Communication Center. Our thoughts remain with the firefighters & their families.”