High winds, high temperatures, and extra dry conditions meant fire personnel responded in force and worked diligently to control a new wildfire called in at approximately 2:32pm on June 20th west of the Colowyo Mine guard shack in Moffat County. On Friday evening, the fire was estimated to be around 500 acres in size and the cause remained unknown. Fire officials urged the public to be fire-aware and check for dragging chains on vehicles and to never throw cigarettes out of their windows. High winds on Saturday increased the high levels of smoke, dust, and fire debris in the air. As of the final update over the weekend, the Colowyo Wildland Fire had grown to 585 acres and crews had reached 100 percent containment. Crews will remain on site to monitor for hot spots. Fire officials thanked all the fire personnel that traveled to fight this fire and worked tirelessly, stating that it is a testament to their dedication being able to get it contained as quickly as they did despite the high winds.
