| Contacts: | Lynn Barclay: 970-826-5096 | |||
| Recorded Media Line: 970-826-5108 |
Smoke in northwest Colorado from fires in Wyoming and Utah
Craig, CO – Numerous smoke reports called into the Craig Interagency Fire Dispatch Center this afternoon were the result of fires in Utah and Wyoming. Smoke was carried from these incidents across northwest Colorado causing hazy air conditions and raising concerns from the public.
The Augusi Fire is two miles west of the Colorado border in Utah. The one hundred fifty-one acre fire started August 26 and is in monitor status. People in western Rio Blanco County reported they saw smoke this afternoon as high winds kicked up fire activity on that incident. One engine is assigned.
The Deep Creek prescribed fire is about 1,000 acres and located twelve miles northeast of Baggs, Wyoming. A storm passing over the fire caused erratic fire behavior and increased the fire activity. A second fire in Wyoming is 1,200 acres and is 18 miles north of Kemmerer.
A red flag warning has been in effect across of much of Colorado today due to high winds and low relative humidity. There are no wildland fires burning in northwest Colorado.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
455 Emerson Street Craig, CO 81625