GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) – Crews in Grand County are battling the Black Mountain Fire which grew to 170 acres by Monday morning.
It sparked Sunday just west of the East Troublesome burn area, and pre-evacuation notices were sent to about 20 residences.
“Hopefully it doesn’t get any bigger,” said Pat Martin, a nearby resident.
Seeing flames on the hillside is very emotional for residents, and for Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin.
“East Troublesome impacted a lot of people. I had three staff members alone that lost homes in the East Troublesome Fire. We lived through the East Troublesome Fire, all of us, many sleepless nights, and now to see fire on our hillsides, we are monitoring this fire very close,” Schroetlin said.
The Black Mountain Fire is now moving toward the East Troublesome burn scar, which is just a few miles away. The sheriff says that could prove helpful. “If we can use that previous burn scar, then it helps reduce a lot of retardant and a lot of work on the ground,” he said.
Several aircraft are working the fire, and large equipment is on standby, but the sheriff says a lot depends on Mother Nature. Monday is dry and hot.
“Right now it’s really up to the weather. We just really need to get through the next couple of days until we have that storm front,” Schroetlin said.
The U.S. Forest Service has issued closures around the fire area. Officials are asking people to stay out of the closure area for their own safety and the safety of firefighters.
