Colorado officials reopen I-70 near Glenwood Springs; Paradise Creek Fire forced extended closure

A 28 mile stretch of I-70 was shut down for much of Tuesday afternoon and evening in western Colorado due to a small wildfire burning next to the interstate in steep and rocky terrain.

After the Paradise Creek Fire ignited on Tuesday afternoon west of Glenwood Springs, emergency officials closed both directions of Interstate 70. The closure lasted until after 8 p.m.

First responders headed to the scene of the fire at approximately 3 p.m. A few hours later, officials said the fire was between 8 and 10 acres in size.

Nearly 50 firefighters were working to contain the fire in the early evening, and two helicopter crews were assisting with water drops on the fire.

A red flag warning is in effect for much of western Colorado. Dry and hot conditions and dangerous fire weather are expected to continue into Wednesday.

At 6:20 p.m., officials from the Colorado Department of Transportation said the full I-70 closure was from Chacra to Dotsero. That's nearly 30 miles long and includes the entire Glenwood Canyon area.

As the highway was reopening at 8:30 p.m. a large backup of traffic could still be seen in the westbound lanes. One westbound lane was still closed at that time, according to CDOT.