East Troublesome Fire Fueled By Strong Winds, Dry Conditions Near Kremmling
GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The East Troublesome Fire continues to burn in northern Colorado, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. The fire, which started Wednesday afternoon in Grand County, has burned 7,800 acres.
There are mandatory evacuations for people in the Big Horn Park area and along County Road 21.
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"The fact that we haven't had any rain for so long or moisture... I mean, everywhere in Colorado is so dry right now, it's dangerous," said evacuee Sean Fierst.
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 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.
The smoke from the East Troublesome Fire combined with the smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire formed a wall of smoke as it descended over the Denver skyline on Friday afternoon.
