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Firefighters with Upper Colorado River Fire out of Rifle stand by as aircraft work to contain a wild fire east of New Castle Monday afternoon. As of 6pm, the fire had claimed 275 acres and voluntary evacuation of homes was in effect.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — A wind-whipped fire spread quickly Monday afternoon in the Canyon Creek area west of Glenwood Springs.
Garfield County Sheriff spokeswoman Tanny McGinnis said the fire was caused by a lightning strike Sunday evening about 9 p.m. High winds Monday afternoon quickly brought it up to 275 acres by 7 p.m.
The sheriff ordered a voluntary evacuation of homes in the Canyon Creek area at about 4:30 p.m. Residents were contacted by telephone through the reverse-911 automatic dialing process.
“We’ve asked for a voluntary evacuation of the Canyon Creek area because the wind is sporadic and changing direction,” McGinnis said. As of 4:40 p.m. the fire was burning eastward roughly paralleling Interstate 70. Highway 6 was closed between the Canyon Creek exit on Interstate 70 and the New Castle exit.
McGinnis said the fire was burning on private land and spreading north and eastward. “It’s moving quickly,” she said, because firefighters and equipment were spread among other fires in the region.
“We’re struggling to get equipment here,” McGinnis said. Local firefighters were on the scene and a helicopter was on order.
An intense lightning storm Sunday night triggered about 50 lightning strikes between Grand Junction and Canyon Creek. “It seems like every one started a fire, some of them in single trees and some of them quite large,” said Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Mel Lloyd. One of them, the Whitaker Flats Fire in the Bookcliffs north of Cameo, was estimated to be at 400 acres, she said.
Another fire started as a result of Sunday night’s lightning three miles east of Battlement Mesa on Morrisania Mesa. The Cottonwood Fire threatened five homes Sunday and one home was evacuated. However the evacuation order was rescinded on Monday, said BLM spokesman David Boyd.
By Monday afternoon the Cottonwood Fire had burned four acres. A total of 50 firefighters were called out, including the Craig Hot Shot crew. A helicopter and air tanker were pouring water and slurry on the fire.
“It is not contained but is not burning any new ground,” Boyd said. “We are working on containing it and hitting the hot spots.
A lightning strike also ignited two trees north of Grand Junction, but that fire was reported as out on Monday.
Lloyd said three air tankers and two helicopters were fighting the Whitaker Flats Fire as of Monday afternoon. Road access is from the town of DeBeque. “It takes about four hours to get to the fire from DeBeque,” she said, and firefighters were en route Monday with high winds in the afternoon forecast.
Contact Donna Gray: 945-8515, ext. 16605
dgray@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
Garfield County Sheriff spokeswoman Tanny McGinnis said the fire was caused by a lightning strike Sunday evening about 9 p.m. High winds Monday afternoon quickly brought it up to 275 acres by 7 p.m.
The sheriff ordered a voluntary evacuation of homes in the Canyon Creek area at about 4:30 p.m. Residents were contacted by telephone through the reverse-911 automatic dialing process.
“We’ve asked for a voluntary evacuation of the Canyon Creek area because the wind is sporadic and changing direction,” McGinnis said. As of 4:40 p.m. the fire was burning eastward roughly paralleling Interstate 70. Highway 6 was closed between the Canyon Creek exit on Interstate 70 and the New Castle exit.
McGinnis said the fire was burning on private land and spreading north and eastward. “It’s moving quickly,” she said, because firefighters and equipment were spread among other fires in the region.
“We’re struggling to get equipment here,” McGinnis said. Local firefighters were on the scene and a helicopter was on order.
An intense lightning storm Sunday night triggered about 50 lightning strikes between Grand Junction and Canyon Creek. “It seems like every one started a fire, some of them in single trees and some of them quite large,” said Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Mel Lloyd. One of them, the Whitaker Flats Fire in the Bookcliffs north of Cameo, was estimated to be at 400 acres, she said.
Another fire started as a result of Sunday night’s lightning three miles east of Battlement Mesa on Morrisania Mesa. The Cottonwood Fire threatened five homes Sunday and one home was evacuated. However the evacuation order was rescinded on Monday, said BLM spokesman David Boyd.
By Monday afternoon the Cottonwood Fire had burned four acres. A total of 50 firefighters were called out, including the Craig Hot Shot crew. A helicopter and air tanker were pouring water and slurry on the fire.
“It is not contained but is not burning any new ground,” Boyd said. “We are working on containing it and hitting the hot spots.
A lightning strike also ignited two trees north of Grand Junction, but that fire was reported as out on Monday.
Lloyd said three air tankers and two helicopters were fighting the Whitaker Flats Fire as of Monday afternoon. Road access is from the town of DeBeque. “It takes about four hours to get to the fire from DeBeque,” she said, and firefighters were en route Monday with high winds in the afternoon forecast.
Contact Donna Gray: 945-8515, ext. 16605
dgray@postindependent.com
Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Colorado CO
