| Contacts: | Lynn Barclay: 970-826-5096 |
Thunderstorms bring more lightning and wildfires (07-22-10)
Craig, CO – Thunderstorms late yesterday produced rain and lightning late in the day. About 14 fires were reported in western Moffat County and one in Routt County. Ten are contained. Roads were slick and difficult to navigate in some areas hampering response efforts during the height of the storms. Fire personnel are back out today checking reported incident locations and suppressing any fires they find.
The Logging Fire is 1,144 acres and full containment is expected this evening. Two hand crews will be released today while one crew remains to continue mop-up and reinforce the perimeter. It’s located on the east side of Douglas Mountain in Moffat County.
The Reed Fire 475 acres and is 100% contained.
The East Fork Fire is 657 acres and 100% contained. It is located about ten miles south of Elk Springs, Moffat County.
Twin Buttes Fire is holding at 145 acres. There has been no additional perimeter growth the past few days. It is being allowed to naturally burn to benefit area resources. The Nature Conservancy Wildfire Module is assigned to this incident and assessing long term fire affects and rehabilitation considerations. This incident is 25 miles southwest of Rangely; Rio Blanco County on BLM managed land.
All fires reported yesterday were lightning caused.
No structures are immediately 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.
455 Emerson Street Craig, CO 81625