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Rio Blanco County fires being managed

Fire near Rangely being managed, one north of Meeker contained

Craig Daily Press Staff Report

A 240-acre fire burning 25 miles southwest of Rangely is being allowed to burn to natural barriers, according to a news release from the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit.

The Twin Buttes fire was determined to be lightning-caused and is burning on Bureau of Land Management land. It is consuming pinyon and juniper trees, oak brush and grass.

As of Sunday, the fire’s activity was low with no growth from Saturday.



Crews are monitoring the fire’s behavior and progress from the ground and air.

According to the release, fire managers permit lightning-caused fires to burn when safe because it is a component of many ecosystems in the west.



Benefits of fire to a landscape include burning dead debris that inhibit regeneration of new plants, supporting nutrient cycles, giving some plants the disturbance they need to reproduce and improving overall habitat for wildlife, according to the release.

Structures in the area of the fire include a historical cabin about three-quarters of a mile northwest of the fire, a primary residence about one and one-half miles southwest of the fire, and a residence about two miles northeast of the fire. None of the structures were threatened as of Sunday, according to the release.

The Indian Valley fire, which was burning 20 miles northwest of Meeker, was fully contained as of Sunday evening.

The lightning-caused fire burned 322 acres and destroyed no structures. The fire started on private land and burned onto BLM land.


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