I-70 reopens as crews hold Red Canyon Fire to 10 acres
Evacuations ordered for Red Canyon, Horn Ranch areas north of the interstate
Hugh Fairfield-Smith/Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit/Courtesy image
One lane of Interstate 70 westbound and both lanes of I-70 eastbound have reopened after crews were able to stop the Red Canyon Fire’s progress on Wednesday evening, 4 miles west of Wolcott.
The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit on Wednesday evening said firefighters stopped the blaze’s forward progress and had it holding at an estimated 10 acres.
Residents of the Red Canyon and Horn Ranch areas north of the interstate between mile markers 151 and 154 were asked to evacuate.
The fire broke out at around 3:30 p.m. and started quickly advancing. Fire engines, air attack aircraft, a Type 1 Hotshot Crew and a Type 1 Helicopter were dispatched to stop the blaze, the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit reported.
Amber Phelps was driving past the scene as the fire was starting. She said it took less than 10 minutes for the blaze to blow up.
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“It grew twice or three times in size when I first saw it at 3:30 or 3:45,” she said.
No suspected cause has yet been issued for the blaze.
Early Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction office issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the area, saying a prolonged period of hot, dry and windy days will bring critical fire weather conditions to much of western Colorado through the weekend and possibly beyond.
“Temperatures reaching the triple digits will expand across the lower valley locations to end out the week and could impact those sensitive to heat,” the outlook stated.
About an hour before the fire broke out, that Hazardous Weather Outlook was augmented by a more specific Fire Weather Watch issued by the Grand Junction office, specifically saying on Friday, areas along the Colorado River headwaters under 7,000 feet in elevation will be susceptible to wildfire due to “gusty winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels.”
Crews are now asking residents and motorists to avoid the area of the Red Canyon Fire. Visit COtrip.org/home.htm for the most up-to-date road closure information.
This story will be updated.
