Green Ridge Fire Shrinks to 41 Acres as Stagecoach Reopens

“Team Colorado would like to thank the community for their support; we are humbly overwhelmed by the amount of gratitude shown to our team while we’ve been in Stagecoach.”

That sentiment, written by the group in a Thursday update, captures the mood as firefighters begin to exhale on one of two Routt County wildfires that sparked Sunday. The Green Ridge Fire, which burned south of Stagecoach reservoir, has shrunk to 41 acres and stands at 75% contained. It’s a significant win for locals who watched smoke drift over their roofs and roads close for days.

The Colorado Incident Management Team handed over command to a Type 4 Incident Command Team late Wednesday, and the shift in strategy is already visible. Crews are “right-sizing” the operation, meaning they’re scaling back personnel and equipment as the threat diminishes. Previously reported at 45 acres, the fire’s size was adjusted downward after a team hike of the fireline using handheld GPS units. It turns out precise measurement matters when you’re trying to tell taxpayers exactly what they paid for.

All evacuation zones in the area were returned to pre-evacuation status by 8 p.m. Tuesday evening. Roads are reopening, and the immediate panic is subsiding into routine maintenance. On Thursday, crews worked to strengthen containment lines and mop up hot spots inside the fire’s perimeter. The goal now is not just to hold the line, but to ensure no embers escape during the night when flames remain visible.

South of Stagecoach, the story is one of recovery. But just 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 40 on Rabbit Ears Pass, the Fishhook Fire tells a different tale. Located southeast of Steamboat Ski Resort, it has grown to 347 acres with zero percent containment. As of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the fire was still expanding, unchecked by the containment lines that have secured Green Ridge.

Routt National Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist Aaron Voos confirmed the status of the Fishhook Fire, noting its steady growth. The Southwest Complex Incident Management Team I, comprised largely of firefighters from New Mexico and Arizona, has been trickling in over the past few days. They will take official command of the Fishhook Fire at 6 a.m. Friday, bringing fresh eyes and manpower to a blaze that refuses to shrink.

Concerns remain over potential flare-ups, particularly if gusty downslope or down-valley winds push the fire into unburned fuels late in the afternoon. The chance of wetting rain is expected to increase Friday and into the weekend, which could help both fires, but wind remains a variable that locals know well.

Sheriff Doug Scherar issued a preliminary identification of the Green Ridge Fire’s cause on Tuesday, pointing to a tractor baling hay as the likely culprit. It’s a specific detail that resonates with agricultural communities; it wasn’t a spark from a power line or a discarded cigarette, but the work of farming itself.

For now, residents can breathe easier near Stagecoach. A temporary flight restriction remains in place above the Green Ridge Fire, including drones, so if you fly, we can’t. Fourteen roads remain closed in the Stagecoach area, but most are expected to open as crews finish their work. Stand there long enough and you can see the smoke thinning, revealing the blue sky that has been missing for days.