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Mitchell Creek, circus evacuated

Staff Report

Heavy rains Saturday night caused another evacuation of Mitchell Creek and forced an early closure of Circus Chimera.

Information officer Ron VanMeter said between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of rain fell.

According to Gary Tillotson, of the Glenwood Springs Fire Department, three to four inches of water and some debris were flowing down Mitchell Creek Road below the fish hatchery. Fortunately, “nothing really exciting has happened,” he said. There were no injuries and no significant property damage, he added.



About 100 people showed at the Glenwood Springs Mall in what has become a necessary if tiresome ritual this summer. The Coal Seam Fire burned off vegetation on Storm King Mountain and the Mitchell Creek drainage, leaving residents of Mitchell Creek and parts of West Glenwood in the path of potentially catastrophic debris flows.

Vegetation on Red Mountain, across the Colorado River from Mitchell Creek, was also largely burned off, especially on the slope above the site Circus Chimera was using Saturday night. Tillotson said about 300 people were asked to leave the show about 10 minutes early.


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