| Contacts: | Fire Information at 970 456-3623 |
Pine Ridge Fire Advances to Colorado Rivers Edge and Forces Closure of I-70 (06-28-12)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The lightning caused Pine Ridge Fire has advanced to the edge of the Colorado River forcing the evacuation of 50 and closure of I-70 East of Palisade.
The fire is currently estimated to be 10,000 acres and growing rapidly. Multiple structures are being threatened by the fast moving fire.
The rapid shift of fire activity towards I-70 forced firefighting managers to order a Type 1 crew to battle the blaze. Structure crews are currently assessing homes in the projected path of the fire to determine the fire danger surrounding those structures. Homeowners in the vicinity of the fire are asked to prepare their homes in the event that the fire approaches their structures. Homeowners should remove combustible materials away from their house. Lawn mowers, gas, oil, firewood or anything that could combust should be moved far away from the home. Fire behavior continues to be extreme and the once remote fire is now approaching populated areas.
The Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit is coordinating closely with the Mesa County Sheriff. All agencies battling this fire are urging everyone to avoid I-70 in the vicinity of this fire. I-70 is currently blocked and all traffic is routed through De Beque Cutoff. If you do not have critical business in this area, you are asked to avoid this area.
Fire information about the Pine Ridge Fire is available on www.inciweb.org or by calling 970 456-3623.
For information about preparing for possible evacuations, log on to www.sheriff.mesacounty.us.
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