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Northwest Colorado firefighters fighting new starts as containment reached on other fires

Craig Press staff report
The Skunk Creek Fire at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 8.
Jim Zimmerman/courtesy

CRAIG — Firefighters in northwestern Colorado continue to battle new starts, even as they secure existing fires. 

More than 100 firefighters worked with two heavy air tankers and four single-engine air tankers Sunday on the 875-acre Fawn Fire, which is burning in pinyon-juniper in a rugged, remote area of the Piceance Basin, about 30 miles southwest of Meeker in Rio Blanco County.

Crews on Monday were working with a helicopter and two single-engine air tankers to strengthen containment lines established Sunday. No structures are immediately threatened. Fawn Fire updates are available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5906.



The 20-acre Sprague Gulch Fire started Monday afternoon off Rio Blanco County County Road 5 in that county. The fire is active and spreading, and crews are working with aircraft to try to check the spread.  

Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, the Northwest Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit, Meeker Volunteer Fire Department and the Rio Blanco County Road and Bridge Department are working together and have set up a command post to fight the fires in Rio Blanco County.



The Northwest Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit is also working closely with Moffat County and the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office on the fires in Moffat County.

The 260-acre Skunk Creek Fire is burning in rugged terrain in oak brush and sage 30 miles north of Craig near the Wyoming border. Firefighters on the ground are coordinating with six single-engine air-tankers and a helicopter as they work to keep the fire from moving south toward structures in the area. Additional resources have been ordered. The latest information on the Skunk Creek Fire is available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5908.

The 19,947-acre Divide Fire, 23 miles north of Craig, was contained at noon Monday. For more information on the Divide Fire, visit inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5897.

The 1,636-acre Thornburg Fire, five miles west of Maybell, was contained Sunday night.  For more information on the Thornburg Fire, visit inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5903. 


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