| Contacts: | Denise Adamic, BLM (719) 269-8553 |
Wetmore Fire (10-23-12)
CAÑON CITY, Colo. – The Wetmore Fire was reported at approximately 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, and is more than 100 acres is size. It began near the Greenwood area and is burning on private and BLM land. Several structures have been lost and more are threatened.
Colorado Highway 67 is closed in both directions form Florence to Wetmore, and Colorado Highway 96 is closed in both directions from Pueblo Reservoir to Wetmore. Check with Colorado Department of Transportation for alternate routes.
Resources on scene include Fremont and Custer counties, one BLM engine, one U.S. Forest Service engine, and multiple BLM and U.S. Forest Service overhead staff. As of 3 p.m., more resources had been ordered, including: two helicopters, four hand crews, six engines, and a Type 3 Incident Management Team.
Updates will be provided as more details become available.
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