craigdailypress.com

A fire broke out 30 miles northeast of Craig at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Moffat County Undersheriff Jerry Hoberg said that more than 500 acres of land near Great Divide had been burned by 5 p.m.

Hoberg said the fire started on private land and moved onto Bureau of Land Management land.

The fire was probably started by a lighting strike holdover from a Wednesday night storm, Hoberg said.

"If the lightning strikes, the ashes can smolder all night and when the sun comes up and the humidity goes down, a fire can start up," Hoberg said.

By Thursday evening, the fire had burnt out on the private land and was only on burning BLM land.

"But it could spread over to private land again at any time," Hoberg said.

Hoberg said when the call came in at 2:30, the sheriff's office sent two deputies over.

Hoberg said the deputies called BLM to have a truck sent to the fire. Hoberg said that they wouldn't put the fire out Thursday night.

"It will burn the rest of the day and lay down (Thursday) night," he said.

At night, fires "lay down," or reduces, because of higher humidity and lower wind, Hoberg said.

"In the morning, the humidity drops and the wind comes up. (The fire) could take off again," Hoberg said.

He said that the crew on the scene would battle it until it got dark, and be out there if the fire started up again today.

"We'll probably end up sending people up there tomorrow," Hoberg said.