I- 70 SHUTS DOWN, REOPENS BECAUSE OF WILDFIRE

A wildfire shut down Interstate 70 on Saturday between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum, according to the State Patrol.

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said the wildfire, known as the The Duck Pond fire, began early Saturday afternoon in the Duck Pond Open Space area between Gypsum and Dotsero. Winds pushed the fire east, and an evacuation notice was ordered for the Willowstone neighborhood in Gypsum.

The stretch of highway that was shut down was about 25 miles.

The highway reopened in both directions Saturday evening.

Wildfire in Larimer County has burned over 100 acres; no structures lost. A wildfire burning north of Lyons in Larimer County is 40% contained, and 100 firefighters were working on the fire Saturday.

The 37E fire has burned about 114 acres, according to the sheriff’s office.

“No known structures have been lost” to the fire, the sheriff’s office said Saturday. The fire started Friday afternoon in the Blue Mountain area.

About 4: 30 p. m. Saturday the sheriff’s office announced that all mandatory evacuations with the fire had been lifted.

Some evacuations lifted in New Mexico. Authorities have lifted some evacuation orders for a mountain community in southern New Mexico as firefighters worked Saturday to contain a wind- driven blaze that killed two people and destroyed more than 200 homes.

The evacuation orders lifted late Friday covered about 60% of the estimated 4,500 people ordered to leave their homes since the fire started Tuesday, Ruidoso spokesperson Kerry Gladden said Saturday. Evacuation estimates were reported to be around 5,000 people.

“The big story is we’re in a repopulation mode,” Gladden said.

The remaining evacuation orders may be lifted in coming days, officials said.

Incident commander Dave Bales said crews were working to put out hot spots and clear lines along the fire’s perimeter.

Man shot in southwest Denver on Thursday dies at hospital. A man who was shot in southwest Denver has died at a hospital. Police said Thursday evening that the shooting happened in the 300 block of South Eliot Street. The victim made it to a hospital on his own, police said.

On Saturday afternoon, police announced that the victim had died.