Pine Gulch fire forces evacuations

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations Sunday night as the Pine Gulch fire jumped a county road and continued to spread north of Grand Junction.

The fire late Monday afternoon had consumed 29,425 acres, according to a 4:35 p.m. post on the Inciweb site. On Monday morning, the sheriff’s office ordered additional evacuations as the fire spread to the northeast and crossed Garfield 202, according to a Facebook post.

Hot, dry weather and strong winds have fueled the blaze since it began July 31 because of lightning. Fire officials on Monday said the fire was 7% contained.

The fire was active from the pre-dawn hours throughout the day Sunday, primarily on Horse Mountain. The fire burning on Cow Ridge continued working downslope to Kimball Creek and pushed across the Kimball Creek Road, also known as Garfield 202. The fire on the north side of 202 grew to approximately 300 acres and is located along the south face of

Kimball Mountain.

Aerial and ground firefighting operations were battling the fire on the south side of Kimball Mountain to contain the flames that crossed the road.

Evacuation orders cover residents on Roan Creek Road, Clear Creek Road, Carr Creek Road and Brush Creek Road, the fire website said. Emergency management operations personnel are evacuating residents door to door in the area.

Meanwhile, a wildfire burning east of Glenwood Springs closed Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon.

The Grizzly Creek fire had burned about 1,400 acres as of 5 p.m. Monday, said Larry Helmerick with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, a regional firefighting task force.

Firefighters were on the ground battling the blaze, and air support, including tankers and helicopters, have been deployed to the fire, Helmerick said.

The interstate was closed at 2 p.m., and the Colorado Department of Transportation had no estimate on when it would reopen.

Denver7 contributed to this report.