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Fire contained in Gypsum after shutting down I-70

I-70 closed Sunday afternoon between Gypsum and Eagle due to a wildland fire.
Photo courtesy Eagle River Fire Protection District

The rainfall that aided crews fighting a fire in Gypsum on Sunday also caused more mudslide warnings in nearby Glenwood Canyon, requiring yet another highway closure.

In addition to the fire and mudslide activity, police activity involving a vehicle crash west of Gypsum at about 7:15 p.m. also closed Interstate 70 on Sunday.

Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jacob Best said after a fire broke out near the Strawberry Fields farm area of Gypsum at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, a quick response from firefighters saw the blaze contained by the evening hours.



“They still have some hot spots which they’re working, and the rain is helping with that,” Best said at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. “However, it is also not helping in other ways, because now Glenwood Canyon is closed again.”

The fire burned between mile markers 141 and 142 on the south side of I-70. Highway 6 was used as a detour.

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“In that area where people pull out to go fishing, that’s the general area of where it started,” Best said.

The fire was “very wind-driven and running, with some spotting,” Best said, and mainly moved through sage and grass. Crews also worked a hot spot of downed cottonwood trees.

No official evacuations had to be ordered.

Eagle Fire, Gypsum Fire, Greater Eagle Fire and Eagle River Fire, along with the U.S. Forest Service and BLM responded, Best said.

“It ran about a half mile,” Best said.


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