| Contacts: | Kimberly Miller, Fire Information Officer, (970) 309-0348 |
Lightning storm causes multiple fires along I-70 corridor (09-20-10)
Glenwood Springs, Colo. – A lightning storm that passed along the I-70 corridor this afternoon between Grand Junction and Eagle started multiple small fires on public lands. All of these fires are about 1/10 of an acre in size. Smoke started to be reported at 2:07 pm and continued to be reported throughout the afternoon. Five fires in the Glenwood Springs area were responded to by several smoke jumpers, several engines, air attack and a Type I helicopter. Fire resources, including air attack, also responded to a fire at Bellyache, which is south-east of Eagle. Ground resources responded to a fire on the north flank of the Grand Mesa.
Smoke will continue to be seen along the I-70 corridor as firefighters combat these fires.
No structures are currently threatened.
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.
2815 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81506