Lightning sparks blazes in northwest
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 23, 2008 at 1:52 p.m.
Updated July 24, 2008 at 12:23 a.m.
Lightning moving through northwestern Colorado on Tuesday and Wednesday ignited 14 fires in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, including a 100-acre blaze that may prove beneficial to Bureau of Land Management land northwest of Maybell.
"It's burned about 100 acres of mostly sage grass and juniper trees," said Lynn Barclay, spokeswoman for the BLM. "There are no structures around."
The whole area is very dry, with some stretches classified as extremely dry, she said.
Two engines and a hand crew were working the fire Wednesday.
"We have a confinement strategy, trying to take advantage of any natural barriers, such as rocky outcroppings or rivers that can form a barrier to the fire's spread," Barclay said.
The fire could help regenerate grasses, open up some meadow areas and rid the area of decaying trees, she said.
Featured
-
DNC in Denver
Complete coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
-
The Crevasse
A five-part series that examines one tragic day on Mount Rainier.
-
Deadly denial
Sick nuclear workers applied for government compensation but most haven't seen a dime.
-
Final Salute
The Rocky followed Maj. Steve Beck as he took on the most difficult duty of his career.
-
'Colorado's burning'
Coverage of the state's worst wildfires.
-
Columbine shootings
Coverage of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Littleton's Columbine High School.
-
The Crossing
Colorado's deadliest traffic accident killed 20 children on Dec. 14, 1961.
-
Osveli's journey
Osveli Sales left Guatemala for a better life. Two months later, he came home in a box.
-
Wake for an Indian warrior
Oglala Sioux bestow a tribute to the first tribal fatality in Iraq.
