Wildfires blacken 32,000 acres in Colorado

By Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 26, 2008 at 10:18 p.m.

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Wildfires ignited in the past few days by lightning strikes have burned nearly 32,000 acres in northwestern Colorado.

Firefighters from several agencies have documented at least 21 blazes — many of them only a few acres in size — in Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties, said David Boyd, spokesman for the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit.

Firefighters were able to get 100 percent containment late Monday on one of the wildfires, the Prong Fire, which blackened about 4,900 acres 23 miles northwest of Craig.

The biggest and most stubborn blaze has been the Mayberry Fire, which has burned about 26,000 acres 32 miles northwest of Craig. Firefighters were making some progress Tuesday, but they haven't determined how much of the blaze they have been able to contain.

Firefighters are struggling with the Mayberry Fire because of dry conditions and erratic winds swirling through piñon and juniper forests and sage brush, Boyd said.

The blaze also has burned more than 20 gas wells in the area, but workers were able to shut off the gas in order to prevent explosions and other damage, Boyd said.

Ten other gas wells also were threatened, but workers turned the gas off before they were forced to leave the area, Boyd said.

Another blaze, the Lone Fire, was burning about 700 acres in western Moffat County about 15 miles north of Elk Springs.

All three blazes began Sunday when thunderstorms moved into northwestern Colorado, unleashing lightning strikes that appear to have caused the wildfires, Boyd said.

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