East Troublesome Fire Continues To Burn Unchecked At 4800+ Acres
GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Less than 24 hours after it started, the East Troublesome Fire burning in Grand County grew to more than 3,700 acres and then just hours later, fire crews had estimated its size at 4,800 acres. As of Thursday night, more than 80 people, several tankers and helicopters were fighting the fire that had zero percent containment.
The Grand County sheriff said that all evacuations and pre-evacuations will remain in place overnight and will be reviewed around 6 p.m. Friday. There are mandatory evacuations for people in the Big Horn Park area and along County Road 21.
The Bureau of Land Management Kremmling Field Office issued an emergency Notice of Public Closure because of the East Troublesome Fire that approximately 39,246 acres of BLM-administered lands north of U.S. Highway 40 to the border of the Arapahoe National Forest, east of Grand County Road 2, and west of U.S. Highway 34 are temporarily closed to entry as of Thursday.
"The safety of visitors, residents, and fire crews is always our top priority," said Kremmling Field Manager Bill Mills in a statement. "We are working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Grand County, and the Incident Management Team to monitor and address this rapidly evolving situation in what has been a truly historic fire season for northern Colorado."
The East Troublesome Fire began near Grimes Peak on the Arapaho National Forest on Wednesday afternoon. It is burning in lodgepole pine intermixed with sagebrush flats and grasses. The fire is being fueled by wind gusts up to 45 mph, dry conditions and fuels.
Officials have set up an evacuation center at the Kremmling Fairgrounds. Residents under mandatory evacuation orders are asked to take an overnight bag with necessary items, including identification like a driver's license.