RIO BLANCO COUNTY, Colo. — A wildfire burning in northwest Colorado has grown to nearly 1,900 acres, officials said Saturday.
According to the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit, the fire is burning on Bureau of Land Management land about 26 miles southwest of Meeker.
Strong winds Friday caused the fire to grow to 1,874 acres, NCFMU said in a press release.
A portion of the BLM land — including several roads — is closed for firefighting efforts. The closed area is shown in red on the map below:
The fire started Thursday. It was caused by lightning.
“It is remotely located; burning in thick brush and downed trees. As a result, firefighters are focusing efforts on locations where they can safely and effectively
engage the fire,” NCFMU said.
No occupied structures are threatened by the fire. However, there are several historic cabins on private property in the area.
“Firefighters were able to keep the fire from reaching those cabins yesterday afternoon, and crews will continue to focus on structure protection in the Hunter and Willow creek drainages today,” NCFMU said.
Crews are fighting the fire on the ground and from the air.