| Contacts: | Cass Cairns, 719-269-8553 |
Eco Park Fire southwest of Canon City update 09-10-10)
Canon City, Colo. – Firefighters are in the process of securing the fire perimeter and mopping up hot spots on the Eco Park Fire located on BLM lands two miles southwest of Cañon City. Winds are from the west at 10-15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph and are expected to calm down and shift from the northwest at 4-8 mph after 8:00 tonight. There is no estimate on fire containment at this time. The size of the fire is five acres and the cause is under investigation.
A large airtanker dropped three loads of fire retardant on the fire early this afternoon. The retardant slowed the fire activity down giving firefighters the opportunity to keep the fire from spreading. Fire resources include: the Smokey Bear 20-person hot shot crew (out of New Mexico); one BLM engine; two Forest Service engines; Fremont County responded with two brush trucks, nine paid firefighters and six volunteer firefighters; and Cañon City responded with one brush truck, one water tender and nine firefighters. A total of 50 firefighters responded.
The Fremont County and Cañon City firefighter resources have been released. The remaining firefighters will continue mop up operations until dark. Two FS engines and the Smokey Bear hot shots will return in the morning to continue the mop up operations. No structures were threatened and there were no injuries.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
3028 E. Main Street Canon City, CO 81212