Lightner Creek Fire: Governor Declares Emergency

Governor Hickenlooper declared a state of emergency on Thursday for the Lightner Creek Fire, which has increased to about 360 acres. Three 12-person firefighting crews are expected to arrive Thursday night to assist in the efforts.

Meanwhile, pre-evacuation notices have been issued for the Rafter J subdivision covers surrounding vicinity including: Morning Star subdivision, Castle Ridge, West Fork, La Plata Vista and King Mountain estates as well as individual homes in proximity.

Residents are urged to gather important documents, clothes, and medications and be prepared to leave with pets if the evacuation is issued. (For more information on this and other local stories, subscribe to your local Patch for breaking news alerts.)

Officials say that the approximate boundaries are Highway 160 to the north, County Road 141 to the east and south, and Lake Durango and Shenandoah subdivisions to the west.

Lake Durango and Shenandoah are not included in the pre-evacuation.

The fire was reported Wednesday around 4 p.m. and quickly burned about 50 acres on the west side of the canyon before jumping to the east side.

An evacuation center that was originally set up at the La Plata Fairgrounds was moved to Escalante Middle School.

The school can't accommodate animals so people are urged to bring their pets to the La Plata County Humane Society.

Officials are asking people not to fly drones in the area of the fire, pointing out that they are a safety hazard. A drone on Wednesday forced the halt of air operations.

The fire so far has been handled by what's called a Type I Incident Management Team, the classification for the least complex wildfire.

On Friday morning, it will be elevated to a Type II team, which will bring in more resources.

A Type I Incident Management Team is brought in for the most complicated of wildfires.

Photo Durango Fire and Rescue