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Crews make quickwork of wildfire

Carrie Click

CANYON CREEK – Quick action by firefighting crews helped keep a weekend wildfire near Canyon Creek to about an acre in size.The Glenwood Springs Fire Department responded at 6:35 p.m. Saturday to a report of the fire.Lt. Pete Bradshaw, the fire department’s public information officer, said the Garfield County Emergency Communications Group received multiple calls late Saturday afternoon about the fire, named the Bear Wallow Fire, west of the Canyon Creek drainage and visible from Interstate 70. The fire department determined the fire was located on Bureau of Land Management land, and requested assistance from BLM and Forest Service firefighting crews stationed in Rifle, prompting Interagency Fire crews to take control of the incident early on. Crews first reporting to the scene found a half-acre fire on a north-facing slope, west of the Canyon Creek Road, County Road 137, but inaccessible from the road. A Canyon Creek landowner led crews to the fire on a four-wheel-drive road, Bradshaw said.In addition, a helicopter from Interagency Fire originating from the Garfield County Airport in Rifle supported the ground crews from the air because of the steep slope and difficult terrain. With the helicopter’s assistance, the fire was contained quickly and held to just under an acre of burned area. By 11 p.m. Saturday night, crews were working to secure a fire line around the burned area. Crews continued working until Sunday.At 3:30 p.m. Sunday, no crews were on the scene and the fire was reported fully controlled. The Glenwood Springs Fire Department responded to the scene with two brush engines and a chief officer. Assisting the department was the Burning Mountains Fire District, Interagency Fire, and the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department. Contact Carrie Click:945-8515, ext. 518cclick@postindependent.com


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