The Decker Fire, burning 9 miles south of Salida, was mapped yesterday at 1,591 acres, and is 5 percent contained. 

194 firefighting personnel are currently working the fire.

A Decker Fire public meeting will be held tonight at the Scout Hut in Riverside Park beginning at 6:30 pm. 

Fire managers will be available to give an update on the fire and answer questions from the public. 

Yesterday was an active day with the Decker Fire, producing a lot of smoke that was seen all the way to Colorado Springs. 

The fire is burning actively in the Swindinski Creek drainage. The fire grew by only 90 acres, with most of the activity consuming unburned fuel within the interior of the fire zone. 

Hotshot crews on the northeast made significant progress on the handline they are creating they are creating along the ridgeline. The line is nearly complete, and will soon be connected to Forest Service Road 101. The K-Max helicopter successfully helped slow the fire spread on the northeast side and was able to fly until high winds were no longer conducive to flying. 

Structure protection crews have prepped in Bear Creek and Silver Heels, and engines will remain present in these areas. Mitigation continues in Pine Ridge. To reduce the amount of traffic on Road 101, crews relocated camp to Vandaveer Property. 

Today is another Red Flag Warning Day. The K-Max and a second smaller helicopter will do bucket work to cool the fire on the northeast side. Crews will likely complete the handline that connects the Rainbow Trail and Road 101. Crews in other areas will keep scouting for control opportunities using natural boundaries and features and continue to prep the west flank.   

The Decker Fire is being used to remove high risk fuels from the landscape to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the future and to limit fire spread to private lands. 

Fire and smoke will continue to be seen from Salida, Howard and the Highway 50 and 285 corridors.