MESA COUNTY’S PINE GULCH FIRE GROWS TO 20,000 ACRES

Scorching hot temperatures, low humidity and gusty afternoon winds expanded the Pine Gulch fire past 20,000 acres.

The fire, burning 18 miles north of Grand Junction since July 31, sat at 0% containment Friday. Conditions helped the fire outpace crews, as the flames moved down Forshay Gulch on the north side of Horse Mountain to Mesa County Road 200, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black said in a news release.

The fire’s expansion caused officials to close the road at the MesaGarfield county line to prevent nonessential traffic from driving through the fire area. No evacuations have been ordered.

“If winds and slope align over the fire, there is a possibility for extreme fire behavior again today,” fire officials said.

Six injured after boat catches fire in Horsetooth Resevoir.

LARIMER COUNTY » Six people sustained injuries after a boat caught fire in the Horsetooth Resevoir on Saturday morning.

Four people were hospitalized, and two were treated at the scene, the Poudre Fire Authority tweeted.

Firefighters gained control of the flames at 10:22 a.m., and an investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing.

Woman seriously injured after falling 20 feet.

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A 60-year-old woman

TIONAL PARK

suffered serious injuries Friday after a 20-foot fall near Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The woman, who has not been identified, slipped below a pullout on the lower section of the road, the national park said in a news release. The park’s search and rescue team lowered her to a picnic area, and she was flown to a hospital.

Sheep contracts rabies after coyote attack.

EL PASO COUNTY » A sheep has tested positive for rabies after an attack by a pack of coyotes.

A homeowner in the Black Forest area notified El Paso County health officials Tuesday that one of their sheep was “experiencing symptoms of rabies following an attack by a pack of aggressive coyotes,” according to a news release.

The sheep has tested positive. Health officials urge residents of the Black Forest and Elbert areas to be “vigilant of wild animals, especially “coyotes, bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.”

Anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal should contact a doctor or health care provider immediately, the release said.