Courtesy of Grand County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page
A small wildfire about a quarter-acre in size north of Kremmling did not grow overnight, according to crews fighting the blaze.
The fire is west of the Gore Lake Subdivision in Routt National Forest and close to where the Silver Creek Fire torched more than 20,000 acres last summer. There are currently no evacuation orders, and no structures are at immediate risk at this time.
Crews from Kremmling Fire Protection District were called out at 5:19 p.m. Wednesday for smoke near Gore Pass, and the U.S. Forest Service soon had hand crews on scene along with a Type 1 helicopter on air attack. The Kremmling Fire Department and Grand County Sheriff’s Office passed command of the fire over to the US Forest Service.
On Thursday, authorities said USFS crews attacked the fire with several air drops and more than 20 people on the ground. There was estimated figures for containment Thursday morning, but authorities said they were expecting “good containment” later in the day.
“There has been no fire growth and (it) is still less than a half an acre,” they reported on social media. “Some smoke might be visible through out the day. As a reminder, please only call 911 for emergencies only.”
For many people, the blaze brings back memories of the Silver Creek Fire, which scorched more than 20,120 acres near the same area northwest of Kremmling in Routt National Forest.
The Silver Creek Fire didn’t cause any injuries or burn any structures, but it burned until October and forced hundreds of people in Grand and Routt counties to evacuate their homes. It was also one of 229 wildfires in Northwest Colorado last year, which was one of the worst and most expensive fire seasons on record.
A wet winter and spring kept wildfires mostly at bay throughout the summer in Grand County, but with rising temperatures and reduced precipitation as summer turns into fall, fuels are drying out and raising fire dangers locally.