Despite gusty winds on Saturday, the Decker Fire only grew by some 200 acres. The fire is now 6,155 acres with 5 percent containment.

730 firefighting personnel are working the fire.   

A pre-evacuation notice for the communities of Howard, Pine Ridge, Wellsville, and Swissvale remains in effect. 

Our entire area is under Stage II Fire Restrictions. No open flame of any type is allowed, even charcoal grills. 

The evacuation center is being moved to the Rotary Scout Hut in Riverside Park in Salida.  The evacuation center will be open from 7 am to 8 pm daily offering breakfast, lunch and dinner to evacuees. Residents who have been impacted by the Decker Fire should visit the Rotary Scout Hut to access current information regarding Public Health, Human Services, Housing Support and more. 

Mike Harris of Crest Counseling is at the Rotary Scout Hut in Riverside Park today, Sunday, till 12 Noon (or longer depending on need) to offer free mental health services to those affected by the Decker Fire. Harris is certified by the Red Cross as a disaster mental health worker and is posted at the Scout Hut through the Red Cross. 

The Salida Post Office is holding all mail addressed to evacuees, you can pick up your mail at the post office.

The City of Salida is keeping the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center open instead of following through with a planned closure, so that they may provide free showers to firefighters and evacuees. Call 539-6738 to learn how you can access the showers. 

130 homes have been evacuated so far affecting over 300 people. 

An Air Quality Health Advisory has been extended through Sunday morning. 

There are multiple road closures around the Decker Fire are in Chaffee, Fremont and Saguache Counties. 

The Bureau of Land Management Royal Gorge Office has closed all BLM lands south of Highway 50 in Chaffee and Fremont Counties. The San Luis Valley Field Office has closed all BLM lands in Saguache County east of Highway 285 from Poncha Pass on the north to Rock Creek on the south.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has issued a speed reduction to 40 mph on Highway 50 just east of Salida to Wellsville. The speed limit has also been reduced to 40 mph on Highway 285 heading south of Poncha Springs over Poncha Pass. 

CDOT is also urging the public not to park along the highways to look at or take pictures of the Decker Fire. The highways must be kept clear with no obstructions for fire and emergency personnel and equipment moving in the area. 

The Decker Fire Team has released a new interactive map that show the fire’s perimeter. The map has various types of information including a place where you can enter your address and see your location relative to the fire location, a measuring tool, hunting information and forest closures. This is not a real time map. Information is updated once a day. Find that map at Heart of the Rockies Radio.com.

There are two structures that have been confirmed to be destroyed. One home, along with outbuilding and camper, in the Bear Creek area of Fremont County and one structure, a cabin, close to the top of Methodist Mountain. 

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Dan R

Danny “Dan R” Ridenour has been in radio and television broadcasting for over 40 years, starting as a senior in high school in Rogers, Arkansas. His radio career has had stops in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, and eventually, Colorado. Dan enjoys being involved in the community, having been a member of the Upper Arkansas Service Club and is currently on the board of directors for the Salida Community Center and is a member of the Chaffee County Fair Committee. He and his wife Carrie spend their days doing everything the mountains have to offer: hiking, camping, fishing and skiing. They've raised 3 children and have 2 grandchildren.

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